Look around you. Imagine that this is going to be the last day of your life. Don’t just skim over the thought, let it sink in, as if you were an actor who had to face death in an important part. Think about how you would like to reorient your attitudes and your tasks to accommodate what you know is going to happen. Would you work differently? Would you relate to people differently? How do your big problems look from this perspective? Is there a person you want to contact to make peace with? Is there a letter that needs to be written? Have you made a will? Well, what are you waiting for? Do one thing to support your new view of your life.

Make a list of the things you fear about death. It might include: the possibility of pain, being a burden to others, the hardship and sorrow that your death will be to your family, a sense of incompleteness, the feeling that you didn’t do everything you intended to do with your life, or a sense of meaninglessness or that you never found your purpose.

Now ask yourself: How do these fears reflect upon the ways in which I live, or fail to live, my life now? What do my fears of death tell me about my real fears of life?

This is a valuable exercise to do with family members or friends. Talking about death allows people to share some of their deepest feelings. It is healthier to face your fears rather than to spend your precious life trying to hide from them.

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