Remember Where You Come From

There are very few things that we can know for sure in this life, but one thing we can count on with all certainty is this: one fine day, probably when we least expect it, we are going to depart this earth. It is an indisputable fact that you, and everyone you know, will come to the moment when you draw your last breath, and depart on the wings of your last exhalation. Yet most people will live their entire lives in denial of this simple truth. Overwhelmed by the very thought of death, they try to avoid even mentioning the word for fear of bringing on the dreaded occasion.

Despite all the evidence of its reality, facing our own mortality can leave us with a feeling of anxiety that cuts us off from truly living. However, many spiritual heavyweights, including the Buddha, have said that death can be our greatest teacher, reminding us that our time on this earth is limited, and to use the days we have remaining to be truly alive and to wake up to who, and what we are. It's message to us is to focus on what is actually important in our lives, and to let go of the stuff that doesn't ultimately matter (and let's be honest - just about everything we think matters, really doesn't in the end).

Death reminds us to keep perspective, and to enjoy what is right in front of us, knowing that it is not going to last forever. A beautiful sunset, the breeze on our skin or the touch of our loved one are but fleeting reminders to appreciate this ephemeral and amazing existence called Life. In fact, the most important lesson that our mortality teaches us is to wake up to the Here and Now; and enjoy the ordinary moments of our lives. It is in paying attention to these ordinary moments that we discover life's rich pageant - the endless kaleidoscope of colors, sounds, feelings and experiences that make up the total of our days on this planet. In realizing that our life on this earth is a temporary play, we allow ourselves to actually enjoy our brief time here, remembering that this is a stop-over to that ultimate destination that we are all destined to return.