| Okay, don't get a grip if you don't want to! You can | | | | and you won't worry!" |
| wait until your life partner leaves you, your career | | | | Sure, ignore the reality of life, which is death, and be |
| goes down in flames, or your health goes south. But | | | | totally unprepared when things happen. Good advice, |
| then it might be too late to get a grip; and you might | | | | like ignoring chest pains! |
| end up going completely bonkers! | | | | By now, most readers are probably getting a little |
| Things untoward happen to everyone, eventually. We | | | | uncomfortable reading this article. |
| are not gifted or blessed, or special people; we just | | | | That's okay; then go read something more uplifting! |
| think that we are as we use up our luck. It's a | | | | But keep in mind that if you fear death, you will |
| psychological hoax. And when something unexpected | | | | never really live life. Fear will cause you to die a million |
| happens, we look around in disbelief. Why is it that | | | | deaths, instead of only one. |
| we are surprised? Are we shocked when we look in | | | | If you can get a grip on death just one time, guess |
| the mirror and suddenly notice that we have become | | | | what. All your problems that you fret about |
| old? If we are surprised at that, then we haven't | | | | constantly seem somehow smaller. Our opinions |
| been paying much attention. | | | | become less strident, our positions a little more |
| Getting a grip is like saving for something. We might | | | | amenable. We view those who are different from us |
| pass up that new Corvette in order to put some | | | | a little more kindly because the one experience that |
| money away, just in case we need food or medicine | | | | we will all share, the big one, dwarfs all of our petty |
| more than a depreciating sports car someday when | | | | differences. These things we begin to see. |
| we get old! To get a grip psychologically means we | | | | But if we believe that we will live forever, then of |
| anticipate that things are not going to go swimmingly | | | | course we become very attached to our opinions |
| forever. We actually begin to anticipate our own | | | | and positions because it's as if they are substantial |
| personal death. | | | | and eternal, as we believe we are. In actuality, our |
| That's getting a grip; a grip that when accomplished | | | | opinions and positions die with us. They actually die |
| insulates us from ever losing our minds or our | | | | every moment, just as we do, but we don't know |
| awareness in a crisis. Because in our anticipation of | | | | that yet. |
| death, we have experienced losing it all and it wasn't | | | | If and when we did know that; that there is no one |
| that bad. Actually, it was rather liberating! | | | | standing behind our simple bodies and minds, then the |
| It is interesting, here in Western civilization, how we | | | | pressure would be off. Then we could truly live life to |
| tend to ignore death. We consider it to be some kind | | | | its fullest. Then we could relax into life, and in that |
| of morbid preoccupation. Teenagers screech and | | | | relaxation be able to see the needs of others. We |
| scream over rotting bodies walking around in horror | | | | might even be able to relax enough to become |
| flicks, and we dress up and cosmetic-size our dead | | | | courageous and give to others, in whatever capacity |
| as if they are only sleeping. Curious isn't it? Could it | | | | we can. Then we could understand, for ourselves, |
| reflect a deep-seated fear of what will happen to all | | | | the only happiness that humankind can ever know, |
| of us very soon; that we will end? | | | | which is selfless giving. |
| "Don't think about such things!" "Keep yourself busy | | | | And know that nothing truly dies. |