Is it logical to believe that if we think about death it will really happen and if we do not think about it, it will not happen? If so, when we do not think about death we will not be prepared when it happens. This is just like taking your driving test without any practice. Not a smart decision, don’t you think?

The reason we think about death is not to feel and become panicky, fearful, paralysed and full of dread. The fact that we are mortal, when we really think about death it can invigorate our lives to ponder our priorities. If we realise that we are going to die, and that our health and life span are limited, we will consider prioritising our accomplishments. We will do what is most important because we do not know when death will come knocking at our door.

We always say to ourselves, “I have to do this and that. I have to pick my kids up at school. I have to go to work early.” In actual fact, the only thing we ever have to do is die. Everything else is totally optional in our lives. I think this language of saying, “I have to” indicates how little freedom we see in our lives. We feel the pressure and we succumb to that pressure, by saying “I have to”. In reality, we have choices about all these things.

If you choose not to pick your child up at school, that is going to have a certain result that you do not want to see. It is good to recognise that it is a choice. Rather than complaining that you have to do it, say, “I’m choosing to pick my child up at school because I want my child to be safe.” In this way, you do it with a good reason, instead of resentment and obligation.

Spend some time reflecting on this and consider, “What are my priorities in life? When I die, what do I want to look back on?” Not looking back as in “reminiscing”, but looking back in terms of, “How did I spend my life? What did I spend my time doing, thinking, feeling and talking about?” When we do that, it becomes clear what our priorities are because we realise that we spend a lot of time doing things that are totally inconsequential, and in fact the next day we even forget that we did them and it does not really matter if we did them or not. But if we are applying a good motivation to doing those things, some can become actual virtuous activities. Think about it, and think about what is important in your life, what you choose to do, and what you choose not to do.

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