It's not sad behind this door! One certainty in our lives is at some point our physical bodies will eventually stop working and we die. Our death will then become an event, with very little advanced planning, and the people that care about us the most will get up in front of a lot of people and talk about you.
In my mind, I'm always thinking about my eulogy and what my funeral will be like. It may sound pretty morbid but it is actually a source of inspiration. I have let go of the fear of dying. I try to live each day/week/month/year to the fullest so what I leave behind is better off for anyone I love. I want to give those burdened with preparing a eulogy for me some kick-ass material. I want to live a life where I'm constantly challenging myself so I can learn, be inspired and then give it all right back.
I definitely don't want my eulogy to talk about how many hours I worked, the size of my house or my statement of net worth, the cars I drove or all the stuff I acquired. In our day to day lives, these kind of things seem to matter but they have no value, other than being listed on your estate tax return. What matters most is how you make people feel, how you inspire, your core values that you have projected into the world and the impact you have made on others. How cool would it be to have someone, who you would never put on your eulogy list, to get in front of all your loved ones to share how you affected him/her?
When I visualize the celebration of my life, here's how I think about it:
* So crowded that the line at the wake wraps around the building a couple times but everyone in line is talking their line-mate with a smile on their faces
* Tunes being played. Everything is better when some uplifting music is playing in the background. I'd like to buck the myth that silence = respectful. No awkward silence at my party, please.
* A party. I want everyone who participates in showing support to my family to have fun or at least walk away with a lifted spirit. A live band would be awesome but will settle for a DJ. :)
* I hope my eulogy brings people to tears. Not tears of sadness but tears of being moved because the stories that are told about me are inspiring and everyone walks away thinking of ways to be a source of inspiration.
* Nobody is wearing black on black! When you pick our your outfit for my wake or funeral, please don't find the most dreary outfit. Pick out the one you love wearing. I'm not going to judge you!
When I think about my death, I am motivated to live a life that is full as possible. In order to to this, you have to start knocking on doors, being super curious, ask why, say 'huh?', make changes, take some risks, let go, face your fears, live by your values, understand where you came from so you know where you are going, quiet your mind, find your passion and keep on going.
Come on in so you can think about who's going to be there, what are they going to say, what's the vibe going to be like, what will they do without you? I've tried this: write a draft of your eulogy. This is no easy task. Give your loved ones something wonderful to talk about. It's not sad behind this door, it's insightful.
With love,
Katie