BEFORE YOU DIE, what will flash through your mind?

Death

I am going to die one day. We all are. 

Death is unavoidable and every day we get a little closer to taking the nap that never ends. It’s morbid to hear, like a metal coffin plummeting into a grave but knowing you’re going to die is sort of comforting if you think about it. I can say I don’t want to exist forever and I don’t want to die right now but if I were to live forever I’d feel like I couldn’t escape. 

As optimistic and cynical as I can be at times, I feel like there is poetry in death. I also think there’s poetry in failure. So many incredible stories have come from someone digging themself out of the trenches and overcoming all obstacles. 

Ambition is born out of our darkest moments in life. 

Appreciate the fact you’re alive and still trying. Be thankful you’re healthy and have the ability to Pursuit happiness. Don’t allow the dark moments in life to bury you. 

I was reminded of this recently after I heard the sad news that a friend of mine during my time in Denver died. Apparently he had a heart attack. He was only a few years older than me and I’m 35 even though I pretend I’m 34.

This unfortunate news made me wonder what thoughts flew through his head after he realized he was having a heart attack and going to die? 

You know, those vivid images that flash through your head after almost getting into a car crash or having a near death experience? 

Thoughts about the people you most love or regrets about the chances you didn’t take. 

I wonder what flashed before him as he was dying?

I’m guessing for him he had regrets about a girl. 

The friend who told me about his death was his former girlfriend. She said he was a tortured soul which he was to a degree, but I feel like we are all tortured by different demons depending on who we are in life and our experiences. 

As ironic as it is, the coffee mug I’m drinking out of says, You Are My Sunshine.

Whether you fear death or embrace the fact you have a limited time and are going to die, it’s important to enjoy the simple things in life because the simple things will seem like gold if you were having a heart attack and going to die. 

So the next time you are feeling stressed or anxious, stop and ask yourself, is the thing I’m stressing out about something that would run through my mind before I die?

If the answer is no then it probably isn’t that important.