I might die tomorrow.
In Buddhism, they teach you that recognizing and facing your own mortality is the first step towards discovering the true happiness.
It’s so easy to forget this… I always live daily, thinking that there will be tomorrow.
Wake up, have breakfast, go to work, come home so exhausted, complain a bit about this and that, and go to bed thinking I have to do this all over again.
But what if we could pause and realize… that you won’t be alive tomorrow?
It’s a good practice, so let’s try!
Take a moment and imagine. You will die tomorrow. You will not be waking up tomorrow.
Your money in the bank, your dogs, your home, your family and friends… they will be as they are today.
YOU, however, are not in this picture tomorrow.
You’re not here to take care of these things… money, dogs, home, car, kids, your work, your dirty laundry, your bills.
These things will exist as it is tomorrow, but you won’t be here.
Imagine this “tomorrow” - Now, what would you have done today?
My experience with this practice is this.
If I’m dead tomorrow, I really would have wished I talked to my kids today.
So I called them just to say hi.
If I’m dead tomorrow, I’d also like to have said a good-bye to my parents.
I will call them in a few hours since they are sleeping right now (time difference), but will for sure do that by the end of today.
If I’m dead tomorrow, I’d also like to tell my friends how lucky I met them.
So I just texted each of them just to say I miss you.
While I’m still alive, during this short period of time, what do I want to be doing? How do I want to be feeling?
I want to be feeling good, like I did a good job with this life.
I want to be proud of what I’ve done with this life.
I want my husband to know I cared about him, despite what he thinks.
I want my friends to know how grateful I was to have met them.
I want to thank my parents for all the sacrifices they’ve made for me.
During this exercise, I learned 2 things.
I’m only 46 but I really don’t think I have too much regrets if I died tomorrow. The only thing I’m missing from this list is that I haven’t called my parents yet. But I will do that once it’s day time in Japan. This fulfillment might mean that I am actually truly happy. Hmm!? More to come on that!
If I want to be feeling these things, then I can just do it. For example, if I want to be feeling proud of what I’ve done, I just go ahead and let myself feel proud. I give myself a hug and tell myself I’m so proud of myself. Feeling is a choice. I can let myself feel these feelings. If there’s something I want to do, I should just go ahead and do it.
What do you think of this exercise? I invite you to try it!
