How to use death as motivation
By: Stefan Pircalabu
Tags: Death, Fear, Life Lessons, Stoicism, Life

If you are like most people, you get simply paralysed by the thought of someday dying. Yet death can inspire you greatly if you learn to accept it and let it fuel your passions. Some people avoid to even think about dying, getting busy and ignoring the fact that it will inevitably happen someday. But this subject will come up inevitably, at old age. So why not get it sorted out right now?

This article will teach you how to accept and embrace death. Let it energise your life and give new focus to your everyday actions. All of this acceptance comes from the stoic philosophy, that is, in my opinion, one of the best life philosophies to follow. However, you should never get fooled into following anything blindly. Think for yourself and adapt the teachings of this article in your own way. Every human being is different and learns in a different way, so find your own way, always.

“The idea of death, the fear of it, haunts the human animal like nothing else.” — Ernest Becker

Visualise and accept

The first thing you must do, on your journey of accepting death as part of life, is visualising. Imagine in your head the day of your funeral. All of your loved ones gathered up around your coffin. See yourself as an observer and look at your own funeral.

That day will come. It may come today, tomorrow, in one month, one year, or 50 years. Lying to yourself will never help! You may feel fear and dread while doing this, but it will be worth it.

Now, while observing this scene, look at your loved ones and think: what is it that I wanted to do more while I was alive? Who did I want to spend more time with? To whom I never said an honest and simple “I love you!”?

After doing this, you may notice a sense of regret but also appreciation, because you are still alive and can do all the things that you did not. You will realise how important it is to spend time with the people you care for. You or they may die at any time. So, the next time you see someone you care for, be kind, spend more time with them. Cut off social media, games and other things that keep you busy and be grateful for their company.

What do I really want from life?

Most people are only thinking about surviving. They choose a career, or it is chosen for them, just to make money, start a family, have children and die. But is that all you want to do with your life?

What are your passions? What gives you a sense of importance and makes life beautiful for you? What do you enjoy doing? What is your purpose?

Answering those questions is crucial to living a fulfilling life. You may not have the answer to them right now. You may only find that answer after months or even years of introspection.

Remember, you must die. In your moment of death, looking back on your life, what did you really want to do?

Exploit regret

After doing the exercise of visualising your own death you will notice that regret is a common factor. You will feel regret for everything you have not done yet and you wish you would have.

Take those feelings in and never block them. They will show you what you truly want from your life.

Envision yourself in the last minute before you die. The very last moments of your life. Just imagine that, in one minute, your life will end.

After doing this, you will know exactly what you really want to do with your life. What it truly means for you. Because regret is there, showing you what you want. At the very least, if you still not find what you really want to do in life after this, it will start you on the journey of finding that purpose.

Personally, I do this at least once a month. I see myself dying at one moment, and think what I wanted to do, if I had more time to live. This helps me make the best choices in life. Be it professional or personal.

Choose your own path

Some people say that each human being is unique. I tend to disagree, no matter how much some people may hate it. Read and understand the following:

You are as free and unique as you make yourself.

Society may impose rules on you. You friends and family may impose rules on you. Your religion may impose rules on you. But at the end of the day, when you feel miserable, hateful, hurt, in pain and lost… does society, your family, your friends or anyone else feel the same?

They will not, you will be the only one feeling those dreadful feelings. What you need to understand is that:

Everyone likes to judge, but no one wants to be responsible.

Live true to yourself, like you would die at any moment

As I said before, you may die at any moment. So I am asking you, from a human being to another human being: Do you want to live for yourself or do you want to live for somebody else?

If you want to live for yourself, live according to your own nature. Listen and learn from others, but never follow their life philosophies.

Follow your own path. If the path is not yet built, as is in most cases, build your own!

As humans, we must always thrive to push humanity forward. Each individual is crucial in doing this. Because, when you think about it, everything that was created in this world, was, at a time, one person’s idea.

So, realise that you have to:

Die someday — momento mori;

Live life on your own terms;

Create something new for yourself and for the world;

Appreciate the people around you, your experiences and everything the universe, God or whom-ever you believe in, brings in your life.

Live each moment like it is your last. Live true to your nature and to who you truly are. Death comes to us all. But not all truly live their lives. Be someone who does.

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