Looking Death in the Eyes

Some lessons I have learned from my own experiences and through the experiences of others : 

• It is impossible to predict everything and to control your environment. There is always going to be bad luck and “surprises”, things you can’t foresee. You can't live your whole life afraid of death - that would be only half living. For all we know, we might only have one chance at this, make the best of it. Don’t hold yourself back from experiencing it fully.

• The body will do everything it can to survive, even if sometimes that is “attacking” itself (ie. allergies, cancer, immunocompromised etc.). Through my own journey with my eating disorder, supporting people with addictions and loving people with chronic illnesses, I have developed a deep appreciation for our resiliency. Many times we survive things that are inexplicable. We must cherish the body’s ability to overcome great challenges, and give it the respect it deserves, even if at times it feels like it is the enemy.

• Sometimes the biggest danger to our health is not what we put in our body, but what we believe about our body and how well we adapt to stress. I strongly believe the main factors to our wellness is our sense of connection to others and our capacity to process our emotions. 

• Your body remembers any medical trauma, any physiological and psychological hardships will leave a “scar” on our nervous system, and learning to release that through somatic exercises can be really helpful in improving our quality of life.

• Life is a precious gift : wake up each day grateful that you are taking a new breath, even if life seems unfair or full of darkness at times. There is the Serenity Prayer in AA that says : “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.” I live by this philosophy when I am reminded of the fragility of life.

• Be less afraid of saying “I love you”. If someone matters to you, let them know. Time is limited and we do not know when our sandglasses will run out.

• Our fear shouldn't be about death itself but whether or not we are at peace with ourselves if we die...