How to live, like you will die tomorrow, is one way to embrace your mortality. Death anxiety, often brings fear and apprehension, but what if acknowledging the inevitability of death could become a catalyst for living a more fulfilled, passionate life? In a candid conversation between life coach Myrna Young and spiritual teacher Kate Manser, inspiring insights are shared on, how to live life, to the fullest by embracing the possibility that tomorrow may never come.
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Key Takeaways:
- Mortality Awareness as a Catalyst for Living: Recognizing the impermanence of life can be a powerful motivator to live more freely and joyously.
- Personal Awakening Through Challenging Events: Experiencing loss or trauma can lead to profound self-discovery and a deeper appraisal of life.
- Daily Practices for a Fuller Life: Implementing mindfulness habits and seeking joy in every day can transform ordinary experiences into extraordinary ones.
Awakening to Life Through the Lens of Mortality
Kate Mansor's personal journey of transformation underscores how facing mortality head-on can lead to an awakening. After the sudden loss of several friends, Kate grappled with deep, death anxiety, the fear that she could die at any moment. This fear initially paralyzed her, making her afraid to truly live. However, the untimely death of a colleague on Mount Everest became a pivotal turning point. She realized that regardless of how one chooses to live, the end is inevitable for everyone. This revelation shifted her perspective from fearing death to using the awareness of mortality as a motivating force for living passionately and authentically.
“… What was the scariest thing for me? The idea that I might die tomorrow. After that, it became the most motivating, inspiring, and clarity inducing mantra of my life.” — Kate Manser
Kate speaks to the transformative power of integrating mortality into one's life philosophy. When we internalize the transient nature of our existence, every moment becomes precious. This realization serves as a foundation to build a life that allows for greater clarity, urgency, and purpose.
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Mortality Awareness: Live Like You Will Die Tomorrow
Life inevitably throws challenges our way — divorce, loss, depression, and the like. Instead of allowing these moments to define us negatively, Kate advocates for embracing pain as part of the full spectrum of human experience. It's not just about loving life when it’s easy, but accepting and understanding that pain and challenges are equally integral to the human condition.
“…if I say I love life, but I only love the part of life that's fun and shiny…then I don't really love life. I love easy life…” — Kate Manser
Kate and Myrna discuss how through our trials, we find connections with others who have walked similar paths. This collective experience not only helps ease our personal suffering by knowing we are not alone but also facilitates empathy, understanding, and a potential to help others navigating similar circumstances. Embracing the complete human experience, with its highs and lows, shapes a more compassionate and genuine legacy.
Integrating Mindfulness Practices for Daily Aliveness
The conversation takes a practical turn as Kate shares her experiences with walking meditation, a practice learned at Plum Village, the monastery of Thich Nhat Hanh. This type of meditation grounds you in the present, breathes life into routine chores, and helps connect with the natural world around you.
“…walking meditation, you just walk, and you feel your feet on the ground, and you look at the sky, and you feel the air on your skin, and you're just so deep in the present moment.” — Kate Manser
She also introduces the “deathbed gut check” — a decision-making tool that helps break through life's indecision by imagining choices from the perspective of your dying moments. This mental exercise peels away the superficial layers of daily worries, revealing what truly holds meaning in life.
“…remembering that I'll be dead soon is the best thing I have ever found to help me make the tough choices in life.” — Steve Jobs
Mindfulness Walking Meditation
These tools are not only meant for large life decisions but can also transform the mundane, instilling a sense of aliveness in every action.
Mindfulness, walking meditation, equip us to embrace mortality positively. By periodically reminding ourselves of our finite existence, we're more likely to appreciate the nuances of life, love more deeply, and live with intention.
The dialogue between Myrna and Kate Manser explores the depth and breadth of living with mortality in mind. It is evident that the, awareness of death, can be not only a philosophy but a practical, daily influence on how we choose to conduct our lives. By valuing our fleeting moments, embracing our trials, and cultivating mindfulness in our routine, we edge closer to living authentically and passionately — essentially, living as if we might die tomorrow.
The intertwining threads of mortality, awakening, pain, purpose, and mindfulness offer a tapestry of insights that encourage readers to reassess their approach to life. Rather than shying away from the thought of death, we lean into it, allowing it to highlight and prioritize the truly important aspects of our existence. This approach doesn't just change how we live; it transforms how we engage with the world and consequently, how we leave it when our time comes.
Conclusion
For those interested in delving deeper, Kate's book “You Might Die Tomorrow” lays out a path toward living a life enriched with immediacy and meaning. Each page turns the concept of death from a distant, abstract fear into a present, vivifying force, compelling us to make the most of the time we have. To connect with Kate and explore more about living a life aware of its end, visit katemansor.com and follow her on social media under the handle @thealivekate.
