What the living can learn from the dying

The attached is a interview is with Frank  Ostaseski, author of the The Five Invitations: Discovering What Death Can Teach the Living.

In this interview, the writer discusses with Ostaseski on what he has learned from the conversations he’s had with the dying. “For most people,” he told me, “it’s about relationships. It’s about answering two questions: ‘Am I loved?’ and ‘Did I love well?’ So much of what happens around the end of life boils down to those two questions.”

Think about this.....When one is dying, it's all about the relationships.  It's not about the money made, not about the fame won, not about the prestige of honors.  Instead, its all about the relationships we have with those in our lives.

Heres another quote from the article "When people are dying, they tend to be pretty honest, and there’s not so much nonsense in the room. I like to be around that. I like to be around people when they’re being real. When we’re coming close to the end of our life, we tend to focus on what matters most, and the rest of it sort of falls by the wayside."

This is so poignant.  The dying tend to be real and honest.  They focus of what matters most.  I often ask, should we be waiting until the end of life to focus on what matters most?  Or should we slow down, be present and be with those that feed our souls.  

This is what death awareness and exploration is all about.  It's about looking at the other side of life, which is death.  It's not about being morbid, but instead its about building a "healthier" relationship with End of Life matters.  Knowing, and understanding that exploration means empowerment and enrichment to our lives.

Ask yourself what kind of a relationship do you have to death, dying and grief, and it this is relationship is helping you to live a full and serene life.

If you want someone to walk with you through this journey, please contact me.

WHAT THE LIVING CAN LEARN FROM THE DYING