One man quipped:
"It's not that I'm afraid of dying. It's just that I've been alive for as long as I
can remember, and I'm kind of set in my ways."
Some people ARE afraid of dying. Others are not concerned about their
death ... but they worry about how they're going to get there. Will illness linger? Or
will it be sudden?
I can't even
guess how or when I might die, but knowing this present existence will end has actually
helped me to live passionately. Others have discovered the same phenomenon.
Journalists Bill and
Judith Moyers did a documentary on death and dying in the U.S.
They learned that many of the terminal patients they
interviewed were peaceful about their impending deaths.
In fact, many of them found greater
meaning and beauty in life after learning that they would die.
According to Moyers, one
man lived four years past his doctor's prognosis. In that time, he learned to cherish
every moment of life. As he said, "If you are told you will
never see spring again, and you live to see spring, spring takes on a whole new
life." ("Modern Maturity," Sept./Oct. 2000)
Psychologist Abraham Maslow had a similar
experience. After his first heart attack he realized that his remaining days on earth were
short. He wrote about it to a friend: "My river never seemed so beautiful (Maslow
lived in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on the Charles River). The confrontation with death --
and reprieve from it -- makes everything look so precious, so sacred, so beautiful and I
feel more strongly than ever the impulse to love it, to embrace it, and to let myself be
overwhelmed by it...." Can you imagine feeling that way about death? He ends with
this remarkable statement: "Death, and its ever present possibility makes love,
passionate love, more possible. I wonder if we could love passionately, if ecstasy would
be possible at all, if we knew we'd never die."
But we DO know we'll die! And, strange as it may seem, knowing life is
short can help us to live ... beautifully, meaningfully, passionately.
A book's ending helps us to decide how we liked the book. A movie
that seems to go on endlessly loses enjoyment for most viewers . A never-ending meal may
cause diners to become disinterested in the food. Likewise, knowing life is all too short
gives power to live it passionately and enjoy it fully.
I'll someday die. And so will you. Be glad! It is BECAUSE of that
knowledge that we can live every day -- every moment -- with passion!
Steve Goodier is a professional speaker,
consultant and author of numerous books. Visit his site for more information, or to sign
up for his FREE newsletter of Life, Love and Laughter at LifeSupportSystem.com.
