Life is all lessons…ignorance is not a destiny…
“Someone who is always thinking about happiness is a fool. A wise person thinks about death.”
Ecclesiastes 7:4
Let me share some thoughts that will make you reconsider your view of death. I guess you may find this awkward yet I believe we must confront this fact of life early on—NOT when we are old and “ready.”
Death is the most feared reality of our existence; BUT it is also our greatest mentor. Whether you like it or not, death will always be your constant companion; wherever you go, whatever you do, no matter how much you deny, you will always be under its whim. To disregard this fact is a disregard of life. If you live life believing it’s the ultimate consciousness, then you will die with death. But if you pursue your higher awareness then death would be emancipation to a higher form of consciousness.
Forget living a life of nonsense. Stop wasting it on asking endless questions, or senseless aspirations, or perpetual resistance to the reality of things. Such thoughts will not linger when you’re in your death bed; instead, fear and resentment will occupy your thoughts; and with this comes the realization that you have wasted your life.
Since most of us are living like puppets of nature, we need to be reminded of the fact of our demise. In so doing, we will be forced to open our eyes to the things that are important. Remember, death has been set upon us from the time we were born.
Bearing this fact in mind, we must wake up each day with the thought of our own mortality; let this be your reason to do your best each day; to live your life in the utmost and venture in discovering your divine self. Life is an opportunity; we should live life with death in our eyes. Having this virtue dominating our minds, we can then slough the things that are preventing us from expanding.
If you have, once in your life, witnessed the death of someone or have been to a funeral, you might have felt a strange feeling of vulnerability and fear. In those brief instances death whispers its authority. It is wise to heed its warning. But for most, it doesn’t take root, not until they experience a close encounter. Those who have cheated death and lived see life in a totally different perspective.
The counsel of death dissolves the immaturity within us if, and only if, we embrace its reality in our day to day existence. If you want to achieve, to love, to develop, to conquer, to be what you want to be, to go where you want to go, to possess what you want to have, then ponder about this: will I be still here tomorrow? Whatever your answer to this deciding query will affect your view of risk, rejection, failure, procrastination, laziness and all other excuses that counters you capacity.
There is a purpose why we are here. And that is to emancipate from the stifling nature of life. Why stifling? Because we have been bestowed of a form that is so fragile and deceptive that makes it difficult for us to discover our true essence. In an effort of man to gain understanding they have set upon themselves standards for which they measure all things. They try so hard to make it in accordance with their limited perception that they become more confused. And in the face of death every effort proved to be futile.
Death is our clock, but unlike any other clock it doesn’t have hours and minutes, only seconds—meaning only the present moment. We can achieve anything we want in this world if we work for it; we can have power, fortune and fame: the only problems is material possessions cannot transcend death. There is only one possession that we can carry with us when we leave this form, and that is our awareness. If we live our life like Homo sapiens then we are subject to the law of survival of the fittest, which is of this world. Believe it or not, we are living this kind of life; and the sad part is we are unconscious of it.
The true purpose of our life lies within us. Lest one be wise, only in the moment of death can we see what we’ve missed. Find it now while you have the time, regret has proven itself to be useless in the end.
“Death cancels everything but truth”
– Proverb quotes
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P.S.
Our lifetime is not enough to know all the experiences of life. Therefore, we need to have other sources in maximizing our understanding of the many facets of our existence. In this regard I am bound to share with you the most powerful materials that have shaken my foundation and have changed my life as well as the lives of many.
Life is full of questions but I have found answers in perusing the books: The Road Less Traveled, Man’s Search for Meaning and The Power of Now, these has given me light on the deepest nature of man. Still, in searching for ways of enhancing my life I have found: Think and Grow Rich, The Magic of Thinking Big and Thick Face Black Heart. In matters of understanding my mind I was greatly enlightened by the suspense filled novel’s Way of the Peaceful Warrior, A Rich Man’s Secret and The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari. And finally, I have understood the pattern of my finances through reading Secrets of the Millionaire Mind.
Everything we wish in life will come upon us if we first seek the wisdom of knowing.
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This is a very thought provoking post. Earlier in my life I went through a period where I was quite concerned with death and it bothered me for a while. But you eventually realize that it will happen and you can not control it. It could be tomorrow or later, you just have to prepare for the best you can.
Andre Arnett´s last blog ..Keyword Research Explained In Simple Terms
@Andre – We always have to be on guard Andre, we need to aspire the things the lives within us long before our death.
Hey Walter,
Nice post. Ii we would all think about death more often, but in a constructive way, I think we would learn to enjoy life more and experience it fully. I find that thinking about death is a particularly good way to find out what gives meaning to your life and create a vision for it.
I ask people all the time to imagine themselves on their dying bed, look at their lives form that point and ask themselves what would they like to see.
Eduard
Ideas With A Kick´s last blog ..Enough with the mind reading: get a 360 feedback!
@Ideas – The sad part for most people is the regret they have when they are in their death beds. I say we should always see our self in that state so that we can act differently.
Hi Walter,
Beautiful post! When I was a teenager, I had a near death experience. As a result, I am not afraid of dying. I truly think that in order to fully make the most out of being alive, we have to accept that this journey will end eventually.
We just have to make the best while we are here and live each day as if it were our last. There is no need to have regret or to feel sorry for oneself. Life is fluid and constantly in motion. Something is a mistake only if we do not learn from it.
And we also need to realize that the purpose of being here is not to accumulate money or things. It is to accumulate wisdom and love. We are far more powerful than we realize.
Nadia – Happy Lotus´s last blog ..The Power of Redemption
@Nadia – Honestly, I also did experience a glimpse of death when I was a teenager. I was embraced by fear and my life flashes back before me. In those seemingly last moments I felt empty, the material world weighs no importance; the one thing that I need to have is not within the objective realm, but within my soul. Thank God I was given a chance.
I read once that the way we live our life shows the way we look at death. You have given us much to ponder, as well we should. The intangibles like love, hope, kindness and goodwill serve us far better than anything of the material realm.
askcherlock´s last blog ..the waif
@Askcherlock – The intangibles or may I call it the divine, should be our guiding virtues in life. It never ceases in death.
“I may die today” is a powerful meditation. But you’re right that the fear of death drives us, when it’s really all about realizing the power of the present. I like Anthony de Mello’s wisdom: worry more about life before death.
Kaushik´s last blog ..Playing…
@Kaushik – The moment we embrace death is the time we can truly live.
As death is a master, its also a great teacher. Enlightened masters in the eastern tradition are called “twice born” as they are said to pass through the portals of death to attain enlightenment – but enough metaphysics:-).
On a more practical level, realizing my own mortality is now helping me put powerful goals ahead of the status quo and helps me keep focus on the important and not just the convenient/urgent things in my life. In that way, a realization of our own immortality helps us become more effective in life.
Inspiring post, thank you.
Cheers,
Krishna
@Krishna – Unless we realize our own mortality, we can never live our life the way we need to be, which is in your words more effective in life.
Death is the next step. I, who am a spirit, leave my vessel (referred to as a body) and move into the Light for my next journey. The seers and teachers of the ages, Jesus Christ, Buddha, etc have all spoken this one Truth. Christ said “Let the dead bury the dead,” and he also broke up every funeral he came across. Christ saw the error in most people’s thinking and reminded them of it constantly. That is the error of living in the physical world when in reality we are all souls, all Infinite Light is within us.
In addition to wisdom from The Wisest, I have also been with a person who has passed on in the hours leading up to their transition. Every person they addressed and spoke to had passed on, including the family pet
It was a soul-awakening experience.
I always focus on new beginnings, and death will be one such new beginning for me. That being the case it allows me to live Life more fully. I fear taking the next step less and less each day.
@Ryan – I agree with you Ryan. We are more than our physical form, we have higher form within us and we need to discover this in our lifetime.
This moment is all that I have. This moment is the best moment of my life.
@Tess – I wish all people would realize this important wisdom you have shared.
Hi Walter, this post was really moving. I think death is in someways an affirmation of life. It’s a reminder of so many things, that life is temporary, that it can be short, that we don’t know our number of days or minutes, and that we should live and love to our fullest ability every day that we are given. For everyday that we wake up and are here another day is a gift… not our birthright, but a treasure.
Thanks for sharing this,
Miche – Serenity Hacker´s last blog ..Accepting Suffering and A Call for Compassion 
Miche
@Miche – One of the denial of our time is the reality of death. Man has made tremendous effort to counter this fact of life, but in the end it is a foolish act. Accepting death is accepting the importance of life.
This is a timely topic for me. My wife and I each lost a grandmother this year. Mine passed about three weeks ago. Although I will miss her, I was not sad for her passing. She led a full life and her time had come. I do not fear death. I believe that when we are done here, we move on to the next step in our spiritual evolution. I don’t know what awaits me after death, but I am confident that it will be a wonderful experience.
Eric´s last blog ..The Open Mind Test – Part 1: An Open Minded 2nd Grader
@Eric – Good for you Eric, I do believe that we have a much higher form and that we live in a temporary state of vulnerability.
The clock is ticking for everyone. Most people dread of death because there are so many things haven’t done or achieved; leaving the loved ones behind. I was told recently a friend’s mom was diagnosed with cervical cancer. The news is just as shocking! Health and death are closely related. If death can be a reminder for us, let us first take good care of our body and mind first.
@wchingya
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Ching Ya´s last blog ..Seesmic Desktop Is Ahead of the Game with Twitter Lists Integration
@Ching Ya – Death is like a thief, you’ll never know when will it come. So we better be prepare to face it, whether we like it or not.
Interesting. I’m more afraid of the people around me dying than I am of dying myself.
Renee´s last blog ..Ugly Words
@Renee – We all have our time, but don’t wait for that time to seek understanding of what is unknown.
Hey Walter, that was a great read and you certainly do put forward some very valid points that all of us should consider deeply.
Concerning death, I agree for many, Death can be seen and taken as a very fearful event, mostly in part to the somewhat unknown nature of what comes next and due to the majority of religious teachings about death which uses death almost as a tool to keep people in line, keep people on track with traditionally held teachings and beliefs.
Yet there need not be fear in death, if we examine the beliefs that a person holds concerning death and why they believe them to be true.
@Jon – It is our nature to fear the unknown but it is courageous to learn from what is beyond.
Possibly we fear the unknown part of death more than death itself. We probably also fear the pain that may be part of what precedes death. As you mentioned, there is a purpose for each of us and a higher awareness available to us. Let us each sing the song we came here to sing. The one that is unique for each of us.
This is a wonderful post. I always enjoy your perspective and your fearless approach to subjects that many others would not tackle. Nice work.
@Erin – Most people are afraid to face the truth, so as much as possible they make an effort to deny it. Life is worth if we search what is beyond, for we are all temporary in this form.
Thank you Erin for your kind words.
I definitely try to keep in mind to live for and in the moment, but as a creature of habit, I do err on the side of wastefulness. I assume I have until I’m 90 years old, and so I go about living my life like that. Not always, but many times. When I read the Power of Now, I remember thinking, “Wow, this is fantastic! But how will I be able to stay in the moment when my mind is easily distracted?” So I keep meditating, reminding myself to do better, and hope that when I take my last breath, I’ll feel satisfied knowing I had a full life.
Megan “JoyGirl!” Bord´s last blog ..$1 Therapy (Awesome Free e-Book)
@Megan – I must admit that it is not easy to be always at the moment. A part of our brain is responsible for conjuring a future and we cannot control it. However, we can control our actions. The only reality is the one we have right now.
Wow – that was a good jolt – I needed that. Thanks!
@Carbonboy – Glad you’ve appreciated this.
Yes! We need to be aware of our own mortality every morning that we wake up so we don’t waste our day. I never really looked at it that way before, but you are right. We only have a short time on this earth. We have to make sure that we make the most of it every single day.
@Karl – Indeed Karl, we live as if we have a lifetime before us. We are not aware of our mortality until it hits us.
You have done a excellent job with this writing. Yes death is part of our experience. Death is simply an off ramp to the next part of our journey. Death need not be a motivator for when we are aware, we understand, accept and embrace the death of form for we understand that we do not die, merely this form does.
@Mark – Deep insight Mark. Many of us live according to our organic form and not of our divine form.
i always hold the principal of “wise man is man that ready to die and prepare for it”
@ Izzat – Better to have wisdom than to depart without it.
A fantastic post.
We busy ourselves with instant distractions because we are avoiding the reality of not knowing what the next second will bring.
We live with no purpose because of those distractions and this prevents us from gaining some certain control over where the next second takes us.
Alex Crabtree´s last blog ..Little Johnny Built His Community With Honesty, Delivery, And Relevance
Great post Walter.
We only ever the present (as in time) so it’s best to make full use of it.
BTW you should install the plug-in that let’s you reply to each comment individually. I have it installed on my site. It’s makes it easier for you to reply directly to the comment.
SK´s last blog ..Cookie Monster on Google Homepage
@SK – I’ve always been wanting to have a reply to each comment plugin but I don’t know the name of the plugin. Thanks for sharing my thoughts.
[...] The counsel of death [...]
Wonderful post; I think as we get older we think less about the immediacy in our lives and more about the little time we have left. We really should try and make the most of our life and make a conscious effort while we’re still young – if everybody did, there would be so much less regret, and so many wonderful things to look back on.
Emily Jane´s last blog ..Future Nostalgia, or Why I Hate Louis Walsh
Most people become aware of their mortality only upon reaching an old age. Many does not understand that life is unpredictable and we don’t know when our time will be. It is important to be aware of this fact than be caught off-guard.
Great post. If only doing was as easy as talking about it. *sigh*
BigMamaCass´s last blog ..The “C” Word
Doing is not easy considering we’re not accustom to it. But trying is a huge step.
[...] The counsel of death [...]
Nice thought provoking article. You are so right if you keep remembering that death is sure you will want to consider is this all to life? Is there a better time around .What must I do to ensure that I will get a better life next time around. Is this theory of come back to life in the earth made new a reality. Then one can only conclude that if one does the things that are right and accept Jesus Christ there is more togain than lose and if you did right all your life and lose so what.?
I work this hard and write because I am sure of death constantly and want to leave all this to my children. http://www.specular-jamaica.com
Juliet´s last blog ..fraudulent certification Of LED Products
Let us live our life with death on our minds. There is a thin line between life and death; we will never know if we will still wake up tomorrow. So let us give our best at each living day.
[...] The counsel of death [...]
[...] The counsel of death [...]
[...] The counsel of death [...]
Walter,
I dealt with this idea for a good year of my life before I simply let go. I wondered what’s the point if you’re going to die anyways and how do you find happiness knowing it’s all for naught in the end. Then I slowly started to realize that all I have is today and I should enjoy it for it’s true worth. Having come to that conclusion I’ve been able to overcome a lot of my fears by reminding myself of mortality and what I would regret not doing looking back upon my life.
Thank you for verbalizing your thoughts on the subject and for the wealth of links.
Also, thank you for taking the time to comment on my blog earlier as well.
Have a happy new year,
Ryan
Ryan @ Planting Dollars´s last blog ..Thank You Samurai and Cash Money Life
Oftentimes, wisdom comes when we seek it. I’m glad you have found one of the important aspect of life.
[...] The counsel of death [...]
Walter,
This is truly a great post! So much VALUE… priceless reminder. For sure it is a wise thing to live in the light of the deathbed question… and to heed the counsel of death.
Thank you.
Christopher´s last blog ..FaceBook, Blunders, Bra Colors and Coincidences
Your deathbed principle and this post holds the same message. I hope that our message will serve as eye-openers for others to see the important things in life.
That is so true. Thanks for the Inspiration in this post.
I’ve been trying to construct a written explanation about how I view death, but so far the words seem stuck as if they’re all rushing through the door at the same time.
One aspect of death that used to bother me was the nature of the “test” that surrounded it. This was a symptom of being very spiritual/religious. I was afraid that I might die and then not pass whatever test lay for my soul on the other side. Death was about measuring up. It did not encourage enjoyment and peace in this life.
Now that I’ve realized that there is no god and no spiritual realm, my mind is much more at peace. Death is natural, biological, and inevitable. It’s not to be feared, because we will know no fear–nothing at all–when we have stopped living.
Godless Girl´s last blog ..Facebook Fails
I used to wobble about the existence of God. I have read the great works of many atheist that have enlightened me about the fallacies of religion. My mind was opened about my blindness in following a system which has corrupted my true being. Since then I believe in no religion, I don’t believe in heaven or hell, nor god or bad. We are not meant to live our lives out of such nonsense restrictions.
But then I cannot let go of the existence of God. Although science made it plausible the impossibility of the existence of God I cannot accept it wholly. I find a hole in it. Science can only tackle what can be measured but it cannot hold anything that is subjective. Love for example is subjective, science cannot decipher it because it has no way of measuring it. The same principle goes with God.
My perception of God is not what religion has defined it. For me God is not judgmental, He is within us and us within Him. There are more to us than our physical form. And I believe that when we die we will go back to our source, which is God.
[...] The counsel of death [...]
I think it’s ironic that people will always end up saying that they wish they had spent more time with someone after they die. But when everyone is healthy and happy, they talk about how they need more space and want to do more things apart and there is plenty of time to be together. I think if you considered that today might be it, you would change your “priorities” in terms of what you want to do and whom you spend your time with.
Kristi´s last blog ..Fetching Friday – Resources Mashup & Hong Kong Time Lapse
It’s hard for us to realize the more important things in life unless we’ve got a close encounter with our own mortality. We must better realize this before its too late.