In today's society, we tend to avoid discussing death, thinking about it, and planning for it. While we all know that death is inevitable, we find it's awkward to think it will ever happen to us.
The fear of dying does not serve our personal need for safety and if we are to live our lives to the fullest, we need to release the fear altogether. A mindful approach to living may be what's needed.
Mindfulness has been defined as, "The state of active, open attention on the present. When you're mindful, you observe your thoughts and feelings from a distance, without judging them good or bad. Instead of letting your life pass you by, mindfulness means living in the moment and awakening to experience."
Awakening to the inevitability of your own death is liberating. You are no longer forced to manage the fear; you are able to include death into your life experience.
Death is a natural part of life. When you live with intention, you crush death's power to keep you from living fully. The following task list will, when done mindfully, help you to not only confront your own death but to take control of it. While you'll never actually know how your life will end until the time of your death, pre-planning will help you become comfortable with it.
Sources:
"What is Mindfulness?", Psychology Today, 2014.
Klosowski, Thorin
, "One Day You're Going to Die. Here's How to Prepare for It", 2013.