Dealing with Death
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.
What is Mindfulness?
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.
Preparing for Death
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.
- Write a will, notarize it, and provide a copy to your executor as well as any other individuals who are important in the settlement of your estate.
- Designate a Power of Attorney and Living Will, two essential documents if you are ever unable to care for your financial, medical, or legal needs due to an accident or illness.
- Make a detailed plan of your funeral or memorial service, which will help your survivors acknowledge and celebrate your accomplishments.
- Organize all financial papers including insurance policies, bills, mortgage papers, vehicle titles, and loan documents. It may be useful to consider adding a trusted family member to your bank accounts.
- Secure your digital life for your survivors. Make sure to list all account passwords and usernames and let your survivors know how you would like your digital real estate (email and social media accounts) handled after your death.
If you don't work to really get in touch with the reality of your death, you will never be fully satisfied with your life. When endlessly trying to become victorious over death, you stop living fully.
Sources:
"What is Mindfulness?", Psychology Today, 2014.
Klosowski, Thorin
, "One Day You're Going to Die. Here's How to Prepare for It", 2013.
