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Life lessons from the death bed

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Re: Life lessons from the death bed

#41

Post by cheschire »

robviren wrote: post #28

I always struggle with balancing the advice given in pieces like this. The author suggested that they "eat their cake today" suggesting that putting off pleasure is a useless denial. Death could come for us at any moment, but I can't live like I'm dieing every day. There is just a mountain of nuance and self reflection between living some bohemian lifestyle where every moment must be filled with something and some st…

I suspect this person does not write those words with the intent to drive people to fill every moment with pleasure.

I suspect their intent is more along the traditional lines of encouraging readers to not put off something into the “long term goal” category that would just as easily fit in the “short term goal” category.

If anything, I see it as complimentary to your thoughts because many folks will use momentary pleasures as a way to put off a highly rewarding yet difficult life challenge.

Re: Life lessons from the death bed

#42

Post by RHSman2 »

techdragon wrote: post #14

Touching stuff... It could be middle age tainting my perspective... but sometimes I feel this sort of... not visceral , but very close and undeniable ... experience with death is easier for people who are young. Death isn't real for most people at 17, no matter how much they have seen, many see the death of a grandparent, or two, or perhaps even four, before reaching 17, but most still enter their late teens, feeling…

Life is unbelievable. Then we hold on. And then it’s gone.

Pick how you wanna live it.

Re: Life lessons from the death bed

#46

Post by passion__desire »

HPsquared wrote: post #24
christoph wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The best changes I’ve made in my life are 1. Completely removing alcohol. 2. Removing highly processed foods and refined sugars. 3. Accepting myself for who I am, faults and all. I can’t change certain things about myself, so I just need to accept that and focus on the things I can change. Maybe I can’t change them today or tomorrow, but I can always work towards future change. And the most important for me of all -…

It really is the ultimate "life hack". Free happiness: learn to enjoy what you already have.

We are motivated/concerned about lack more than what we have. So if you constantly criticize someone/others for imperfect, suboptimal behaviour, you are likely to criticize yourself too. Just paint the world with broad brush once a while, so that you calibrate away from cynicism and fault finding.

Re: Life lessons from the death bed

#47

Post by RHSman2 »

JofArnold wrote: post #35
techdragon wrote: post #14

Touching stuff... It could be middle age tainting my perspective... but sometimes I feel this sort of... not visceral , but very close and undeniable ... experience with death is easier for people who are young. Death isn't real for most people at 17, no matter how much they have seen, many see the death of a grandparent, or two, or perhaps even four, before reaching 17, but most still enter their late teens, feeling…

As someone of the same age I feel the same. Sometimes I'm enjoying myself or finding it especially easy to be stoical about mortality. But sometimes it makes me breathless with dread for a few minutes. The realisation I was probably born a bit too early for technology to give me immortality saddens me; I only have so many weekends left to do hobbies and even fewer blocks of a few thousand hours to master something ne…

I was afflicted with an awareness of existence from an early age and struggled with it till around 40. Having kids obviously enhanced that but also changed me so profoundly and I realized we are just human sized atoms flying through the universe.

I’d simply advise to get on getting on. It is. You are you so see what you can do with it in the way you feel you can.

Re: Life lessons from the death bed

#48

Post by layer8 »

kubb wrote: post #26

I wonder what she means by entering the religious life. As somebody who was raised Catholic, I don’t believe there was ever a moment where I entered that I remember. The religion was present in my life almost since birth. There were important ceremonies like the first communion and confirmation, but those happened in childhood and adolescence.

Religious life means consecrated life here (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consecrated_life),

Re: Life lessons from the death bed

#49

Post by RHSman2 »

p0d wrote: post #32

At 52 I found this article thoughtful. We shouldn't walk around fearing death but an awareness of our mortality should shape our decision making. For example, I am at an airport returning from another short break.I have decided not to wait until retirement to travel. I may not be here or up for it.

Now
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