My inspiration for this post came from my dear, longtime blogging friend, Debbie @ Musings by an ND Domer's Mom, who is not only a gifted...
Last week I watched an extremely inspiring video, which I discovered at Gala Darling.
The video was entitled, Rethinking the Bucket List, with guest speaker Kathleen Taylor, who is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor for a nonprofit hospice organization.
Being someone who has worked as a volunteer for hospice, as well as offered my services as a Reflexologist and Reiki practitioner to an organization that provided alternative therapy to those infected with HIV, Kathleen’s video reminded me again why I find being around those who are dying or seriously ill with a life-threatening illness, such a beautifully sobering experience.
I once had an interaction with an elderly patient at hospice, who had only a few months to live. And while I was talking with her, she said to me, "Ron, do you know what I'm going to miss after I die? Looking at trees and flowers and grass. So I've decided that I'm not going to die until I get my fill of them. And then I'll die. But I'm going to miss all the beautiful things to look at on this earth."
Up until that point, I can honestly say that I had taken trees and flowers and grass for granted.
As I have shared in past posts, in as much as it can be very emotional, I don’t find it at all depressing to be in the presence of individuals who are in their final chapter of life. Because what these individuals have taught me about living through dying has been transformational.
I think the main thing about Kathleen’s video that touched me the most, was when she spoke of how we are forever asking ourselves the frustrating question, “What am I supposed to be doing with my life?”
Kathleen suggested that perhaps the better question we should be asking ourselves is, “Who am I being with my life?”
“Doing and being intersect, but being comes first because if you’re being who you are, then doing will just naturally flow.”
And I think she’s absolutely correct. Many of us spend our lives DOING; usually trying to emulate or please others, believing that everyone else has the answers and solutions. We’re so busy doing, doing, doing, yet often forget to notice if we’re being authentic to ourself.
According to research being done at hospice, one of the biggest regrets that dying people have is…
“I wish I‘d had the courage to live a life true to myself, and not the life that others expected of me.”
Kathleen concluded her talk with an exquisite analogy, which I have to share with you.
“If we’re all collectively one symphony, then we’re all as individuals different notes. And every single note is important in creating the whole symphony.”
So I say to you, as I say to myself…
BE your own note. Because you're greatly needed to compose the symphony.
*If you have some time this week, please take a moment to watch this video. It will LIFT you, I promise.
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