What if you knew that the next step outside you took would be your last step outside? You may embrace the fresh air, the bright sun, or even the crisp drops of rain. You may not care if it was uncomfortably hot or if it were freezing cold. Whatever the weather might be, you would probably enjoy it because it would be your last walk in the world.
Losing someone is the hardest thing that humans have to go through. Death is a topic that many don’t want to talk about What if we were able to view death in a different way? What if we viewed death as life’s biggest teacher?
I once read, “While someone could tell you that you are not your body, death shows you. While someone could remind you of the insignificance of the things that you cling to, death takes them all away in a second. While people can teach you that men and women of all races are equal and that there is no difference between the rich and the poor, death instantly makes us all the same.” -Michael Singer, The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself.
This quote puts death into a new perspective. It reminds me that death is essentially the biggest teacher that life has freely given to us. Because this topic is extremely controversial and upsetting to many, I have highlighted a few ways you could potentially learn to view death as a teacher rather than a fear.
Death teaches us to live in the moment.
As humans, we have many fears; and for many death is the biggest. We fear to lose our life too soon. We fear missing out on experiences. We fear not being able to build better relationships with our loved ones because of not having enough time in this world.
If we can change that fear into motivation and a reminder to live in the moment then we will more easily be able to experience all of the opportunities that we want to indulge in throughout our lifetime.
Changing this fear into a reminder is relatively easy: experience all that you want to experience and do not wait for opportunities to come to you. Soak in every single conversation with your loved ones. Soak in every single experience you have in life.
Death does not change, death will still be there; but, we have the ability to change as human beings.
Death teaches us to treat our body as if it were our sacred home
When we are gone, not a single person will be talking about the way your thighs touched or did not touch or how flat your stomach was. What people will remember and talk about is the person you were.
We do not have to treat our body as if it is the one thing that people remember us by. There is a difference between treating our body in a way that makes us feel good and treating our body in a way that punishes ourselves.
Once we re-frame those realities in our mind, we change one of our fears: not having the perfect body. People may restrict, over-exercise, and put all of their focus to have the “perfect body”. It is not their fault that they struggle with body image disorders.
The good thing is, these thoughts can be changed. We are able to tell ourselves that our body is a reminder of the unbelievable movements and activities that we get to engage in. Our bodies are a function that enables us to do the things that bring us joy. Whether it is dancing, yoga, tennis, or even walking; our bodies allow us to move in whatever way we choose to move in.
We are given one body, one mind, and one life so treat your body as it is your sacred home.
We can change our relationship with ourselves, our loved ones, and our fears. Allow death to teach you to soak in every single conversation you have, every long drive you get to go on, and every delicious meal you get to devour.
Find someone in your life that enjoys every single moment they have. Find a person that embraces each and every hug, laugh, and conversation. Let that person be your teacher. My teacher is my grandma. Who is yours?
function $th_doReturn(a){var b=document.getElementById(‘$th_texthelpReturnValueID’);b!=null&&(b.setAttribute(‘result’,a),a=document.createEvent(‘Events’),a.initEvent(‘$th_texthelpReturnEvent’,!0,!1),b.dispatchEvent(a))}; function rw_sendSocketMessage(aData){$th_doReturn(aData);};