| To me, death is a teacher whose wisdom and | | | | me and I just want to quickly resolve it or just drop |
| simplicity can be awe-inspiring. Humanity, as a whole, | | | | it completely. |
| fears death; however, death is inevitable. For as an | | | | Forgiveness sometimes is easier for people to |
| old saying goes, you can win a million battles with | | | | address. Some things become easier to forgive and |
| death, but death only has to win once. | | | | some people seek to let others know they are |
| This resistance to an inevitable part of nature brings | | | | forgiven. Others seek forgiveness for past wrongs. |
| a certain amount of pain and discomfort. When we | | | | Some find that the physical world itself doesn't |
| come into this life, we are already starting to die as | | | | matter as much as spiritual development, and hence, |
| the sands of our life start to run. So many people | | | | they lose much of their attachment to this world. |
| see death as the enemy; these dame people don't | | | | Death standing very close to you makes much of |
| always live life, which is an entirely different focus. | | | | the physical world and its activities seem very |
| Long ago, I realized that what we focus on tends to | | | | temporary and trivial, while some of the trivial now |
| have a strong influence on our everyday lives. So | | | | seem much more important. Unexpectedly, you may |
| one day I decided to focus on life...instead of my | | | | want to take the time to see a sunrise and |
| inevitable death. I found that in trying to live life to | | | | experience other simple pleasures. |
| the fullest, the idea of death bothered me less and | | | | I believe death has been my teacher in showing me |
| less. Then, by keeping death as a companion and | | | | what is really important. I am actually quite young |
| teacher instead of my enemy, I found true living and | | | | (28), so as my peers are trying to make a name for |
| a new perspective that lays the foundation for a | | | | themselves, accumulating money and possessions and |
| smooth transition later when my time comes. | | | | working 50+ hours a week, I find that the extra |
| Death became a great teacher of life. Death teaches | | | | money and other dangling carrots do not appeal to |
| perspective and priority. How many times have we | | | | me. For me, time to do the things I now see as |
| heard of people who radically change their lives and | | | | important is more valuable than money. I try to |
| lifestyles after surviving a life-threatening situation or | | | | spend time wisely instead of squandering it and |
| after having a near-death experience? Once you see | | | | wasting it. |
| death face-to-face, life takes on a whole new look | | | | I am living my life to the fullest. I try to squeeze |
| and feel. One way to allow death to teach us is to | | | | every ounce of life form each second from each |
| remember that death is always on your left shoulder, | | | | day. Regrets have become a thing of the past with |
| just behind you. This is similar to thinking that this will | | | | death as my teacher. If only I did this instead of |
| be your last day, week, or month. The problem with | | | | chickening out, death tells me "carpe diem, my |
| this exercise is that if you only have a month to live, | | | | friend." With death at my shoulder, I tend to seize |
| you would leave nothing in reserve. For example, if all | | | | the day more often, for I am willing to take that |
| the money you have would only have to last a | | | | chance because this may be my last chance. This is |
| month, you could spend everything, liquidate your | | | | not to say I have become reckless, but the risks and |
| assets, and live very well, doing whatever you whish | | | | costs appear differently. Procrastination diminishes for |
| for the remaining month. The odds are that you will | | | | the same reason. What needs to get done is done |
| live past the month, so obviously this method has | | | | because I may not have another chance. |
| flaws. But thinking that death is just past your left | | | | In living this way, I foresee that when my time |
| shoulder, a constant companion, also changes your | | | | comes, I will not leave as much to be done as I |
| perspective: | | | | would have. And in all likelihood, I will not hesitate to |
| For some, the drive for fame and accumulation of | | | | accept death's hand when he gestures that it is my |
| wealth no longer looks as appealing compared to | | | | time. |
| issues of family. | | | | Death, for me, is not to be feared. It is a teacher |
| For others, petty arguments cease. For example, the | | | | and companion. In the end, death will release me |
| next time you are in an argument, just glance over | | | | from a frail body, a painful injury, or however I leave |
| your left shoulder and sense death standing there. | | | | this world, and usher me to a new beginning. In the |
| Many times, I find the argument seems pointless to | | | | meantime, I live life to the fullest. |