You are going to die.
But you know what, subconsciously your brain doesn’t know it, because of the years of procrastination and continually putting off little things you want to do has conditioned your brain that you have all the time in the world.
In a sense you do have all the time in the world, it’s not a race because you have to enjoy the journey and the process because that’s life. You have to recondition yourself by pushing your limits and pushing your boundaries. Otherwise, you get sucked into this reality, this trap and you literally stagnate or even regress.
The thing is is that tomorrow you could die, for real so have you done everything you wanted to do. Were you the person that you could be. Were you the friend or family member that you could’ve been. I know it’s a little extreme thinking like this, but no one else will tell you. Mainstream media won’t tell you.
So many people are stuck in a bubble, stuck in a reality that’s been dictated by mainstream society. When you talk about things of this nature a majority of people won’t understand it, because it’s way too harsh a reality. Think about The Matrix, when one of the characters Cyrus wants to actually go back into The Matrix and completely forget that he was ever unplugged. A lot of people don’t want to open up their eyes to such a reality. But you do.
What I mean is that, you can create your own reality and dictate your own terms. You can develop the ability to see the world absolutely through your own eyes and your own ideals, and not have to live by anyone else’s. If there is something you hate in your life, about your life then change it. You have the ability to. If you don’t change it you’re actually saying that the thing you are complaining about is what you want more. Sounds harsh I know, but who else is going to tell you.
The people who have gotten to the top or the people who are enjoying a life of freedom are all shapers of their own reality. They didn’t let anything hold them back, they made a change for themselves. The way to immortality is realise your mortality.
Realise that anything anyone else has ever done that is amazing or great, you can do too. A lot of the reason people don’t succeed is because of their thought patterns. By being self defeating or thinking negatively, you are sucking negative things into your world and you’ve shot yourself in the foot already.
A great book on this is Psycho-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz which I’ve mentioned before. You should definitely go and check it out. I highly recommend it. I came across something in my own journey that I really resonated with, it’s a compilation and summary of terminally ill patients, that were handed in by their respective nurses and doctors:
REGRETS OF THE DYING
For many years I worked in palliative care. My patients were those who had gone home to die. Some incredibly special times were shared. I was with them for the last three to twelve weeks of their lives.
People grow a lot when they are faced with their own mortality. I learnt never to underestimate someone’s capacity for growth. Some changes were phenomenal. Each experienced a variety of emotions, as expected, denial, fear, anger, remorse, more denial and eventually acceptance. Every single patient found their peace before they departed though, every one of them.
When questioned about any regrets they had or anything they would do differently, common themes surfaced again and again. Here are the most common five:
1. I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
This was the most common regret of all. When people realise that their life is almost over and look back clearly on it, it is easy to see how many dreams have gone unfulfilled. Most people had not honoured even a half of their dreams and had to die knowing that it was due to choices they had made, or not made.
It is very important to try and honour at least some of your dreams along the way. From the moment that you lose your health, it is too late. Health brings a freedom very few realise, until they no longer have it.
2. I wish I didn’t work so hard.
This came from every male patient that I nursed. They missed their children’s youth and their partner’s companionship. Women also spoke of this regret. But as most were from an older generation, many of the female patients had not been breadwinners. All of the men I nursed deeply regretted spending so much of their lives on the treadmill of a work existence.
By simplifying your lifestyle and making conscious choices along the way, it is possible to not need the income that you think you do. And by creating more space in your life, you become happier and more open to new opportunities, ones more suited to your new lifestyle.
3. I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.
Many people suppressed their feelings in order to keep peace with others. As a result, they settled for a mediocre existence and never became who they were truly capable of becoming. Many developed illnesses relating to the bitterness and resentment they carried as a result.
We cannot control the reactions of others. However, although people may initially react when you change the way you are by speaking honestly, in the end it raises the relationship to a whole new and healthier level. Either that or it releases the unhealthy relationship from your life. Either way, you win.
4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
Often they would not truly realise the full benefits of old friends until their dying weeks and it was not always possible to track them down. Many had become so caught up in their own lives that they had let golden friendships slip by over the years. There were many deep regrets about not giving friendships the time and effort that they deserved. Everyone misses their friends when they are dying.
It is common for anyone in a busy lifestyle to let friendships slip. But when you are faced with your approaching death, the physical details of life fall away. People do want to get their financial affairs in order if possible. But it is not money or status that holds the true importance for them. They want to get things in order more for the benefit of those they love. Usually though, they are too ill and weary to ever manage this task. It is all comes down to love and relationships in the end. That is all that remains in the final weeks, love and relationships.
5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.
This is a surprisingly common one. Many did not realise until the end that happiness is a choice. They had stayed stuck in old patterns and habits. The so-called ‘comfort’ of familiarity overflowed into their emotions, as well as their physical lives. Fear of change had them pretending to others, and to their selves, that they were content. When deep within, they longed to laugh properly and have silliness in their life again.
When you are on your deathbed, what others think of you is a long way from your mind. How wonderful to be able to let go and smile again, long before you are dying.
Life is a choice. It is YOUR life. Choose consciously, choose wisely, choose honestly. Choose happiness.
The Shining Man 