One Year to Live

Last night in meditation I decided that I only had one year to live.

This exercise is different from the one talked about in WishCraft by Barbara Sher.  In Sher's book the assignment is to imagine that you only have one year to live.  In meditation, I decided to take things one step further and determine in advance that I would die next year at 42. What do I want to do in the interim. What will I do before I die at 42?

Here's what I decided:

• I want to spend the year exploring all the best things about being alive in a body. 
• I want to take a figure drawing class to learn about the muscles.
• Exercise and work out alot.
• Go to massage school in September.
• Garden, spend time with flowers and go hiking.

I was surprised that I didn't say, "Fall in love, be closer to family and friends."  Isn't that what everyone says once they are diagnosed with cancer and their life priorities get straight.

I'm curious world.  What will you do knowing you have one year to live?  Could you live that bravely?

I already made some big leap of faith a few days ago about living life on the edge.  All these years, I've always focused on prudent choices out of some sense of duty to my aged self.   At 25, I was making career choices so as not to offend my 35, 40 year old selves.  I was hard-working and putting away funds into my IRA so my 59 year old me could look forward to vacationing. 

Then, blingggg..... telephone call from 70-year-old-me to 42-year-old-me.   She  was a feisty, crusty,  old-salt of a 70-year old.  She didn't sound like she had good dental.  "Don't give a crap about me.  I can work at McDonalds if I have too. I'd rather you have a good time than worry about me.  Live.  God, living at 70 is nothing compared to living in your early 40's." 

Comments

[Lloyd]

It's an interesting question I've asked myself before. I think I would:

1. Write about what my final year was like. Not a dismal tome, but something that could be encouragement for others in the same situation.
2. Spend as much quality time with my wife and family as possible.
3. Discuss (not plan) with my wife, what her future without me might be like. (Ya know, good stuff.)
4. Probably exercise less, and be less careful about my diet.
5. Continue learning and contributing right up to the last minute.

Another way to evaluate your purpose is to ask: How would I like to be described by my eulogist.

[Linda]

I am seeking the answers to the same question. I am trying to figure out what I will do in the next year (the only time I have). The answer to this question comes from within you. So try to find the answer when you are calm and have all the positive energies of the world in your mind. The best time is when you meditate. I have an answer and I have found it while meditating.

I went to
http://www.meditationhome.com and found something specially for me, as a women. It taught me meditation for women .