I didn't post yesterday because I was wondering if it is disrespectful to a person who is imminently dying for me to think about my own death, which at the moment is a more theoretical prospect. I am thinking that if someone else's death makes me focus more keenly about how I want to continue living, then maybe that is a positive thing. Not totally sure, but here I go.
I get so caught up in certain small, insignificant things, that I often lose sight of the big picture. I mean seriously, nobody is going to give a fuck how fit I was, what size jeans I wore, or even what I did for a living, once I am gone. That certainly isn't what is etched in my brain when a loved one dies. And I would never want that to be what anyone would notice or care about, so why am I so worried about it?
Then that leads to think about what I would want people to remember. I don't want to go so far as to talk about how my obituary would read...partially because that seems a bit cliché...and partially because that just seems kind of weird. But talking more generally about purpose is probably along the same lines with less of the morbid overtones. My wise friend and coach, Christopher, has challenged me to articulate my purpose. And I have, at times, struggled with that notion. But thinking about what I would want someone to remember about me, or what impression I aspire to leave behind, seems easier to me. I hope the people I encounter along my journey will remember that I possessed a vibrancy for life. That I loved with an open heart. And that I inspired them...to do more than what they believed they could do...or to live with greater passion and authenticity. I want people to remember my spirit and my joy for life that I shared genuinely and wholeheartedly.
What started on Thursday as a somewhat sad post about a premature death is, for me, turning into a positive reminder about what really, truly matters in my life and how I move through the world.
Thank you, Jason.
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