posted December 27, 2014 03:52 PM            

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The most important thing I ever did in my life, was to imagine that I was dead.

If you’ve ever heard me speak, or read my first book or the prologue to my second, you will have heard all about this already. Possibly multiple times. But I’d like to repeat it here for the sake of completeness, and for the benefit of newcomers. If a story’s worth telling, it’s worth re-telling ad nauseam. :-)

I was in my early thirties, and I felt trapped. Superficially I had all the trappings of a “happy” life – a nice house, decent salary, good friends. But it just wasn’t working for me. I felt stressed yet de-motivated at work, and as my performance failed to meet my own standards, my self-esteem was nose-diving. Externally, all may have looked well. Internally, I was leading a life of quiet desperation.

Everything changed on the day that I wrote two versions of my own obituary. I imagined that I was at the end of my life, looking back and thinking about what I did with my time here on Earth. I wrote two versions – the one I wanted, and the one I was heading for if I carried on as I was.

I wrote the “fantasy obituary” first. My pen sped across the paper as I described this person who got out there and lived life to the full, who would try anything at least once, who might succeed or they might fail but they would always learn something from the experience, who really seemed to grab hold of life with both hands. That version of my life seemed so authentic to me that when I finished writing it I sat back with a sigh of satisfaction and thought, “WOW, what a great life I’ve had!”. It took me a moment to recall that this was just a fantasy.

By contrast, my actual life seemed like a half-life by comparison. Superficially satisfying though it looked, it clearly did not measure up to the new benchmark I had just created. The fantasy life felt like the one that I had actually been born to live, free from fear, free to flourish. Now that I had glimpsed what could be, I could no longer pretend that this half-life was enough for me.

I realised then that I needed to make a radical change of direction if I wasn’t going to end up disappointed with my life. Combine that with an environmental epiphany and a burning desire to spread the good green word, and you have the makings of a major life transformation. It was time for me to stop drifting, and start rowing.

If you want to do this exercise for yourself, I highly recommend it, but it does come with a government health warning that “This exercise may change your life”. But isn’t that the point?

Get a pen and a notebook – or if you really want to you can use your laptop or tablet, but I find using a pen and paper taps into a different and more creative part of my brain, so even though I’m a virtually paperless person I make an exception in this case. Carve out an hour or two from your busy life and find somewhere you can enjoy interrupted time to yourself. And start writing.

An important tip: I didn’t write about what I wanted to DO – that comes later. First of all, I needed to envisage the person I wanted to BE. What character traits would friends remember me for? What kind of life would they say I’d led?

If you’re still struggling to get started, there is a useful guide here that gives you a list of 15 great questions to get your creative juices flowing.

U Journaling Guide (pdf) *at the link below

Good luck! And don’t say I didn’t warn you!
http://www.rozsavage.com/2013/09/13/the-obituary-exercise/

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posted December 29, 2014 08:41 PM            

Faith So-and-So died peacefully in her sleep while napping under a tree yesterday. She is survived by her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. She is predeceased by her husband, Mr So and So.

Faith was a naturalist, gardener, astrologer, and tireless health awareness advocate. She helped establish a non-profit charitable organization that mobilizes volunteers to supply cancer patients with fresh, wholesome food and juices to help them in their recovery process. This outreach program has served over a thousand people in this community, lending emotional and physical support to people who've needed care beyond what the medical establishment can provide.

Volunteers accomplish a number of objectives: growing organic produce, including wheatgrass, processing this food into fresh juices and raw products, and delivering these foods to cancer patients in need. This dietary endeavor provides nutritional support for people who may otherwise have been too fatigued or financially burdened to supply their own nourishment.

Faith's other interests included world travel, astrology, quilting, and painting. She loved to throw huge parties for all of her family and friends. Her associates remember her as a down-to-earth, friendly person who was compassionate and a good listener. She was also somewhat of a mystic and amused her associates with astrology readings and psychic guesswork.

She was a lover of dogs; her three springer spaniels will be adopted by her grandchildren according to her will.

In her honor, a huge patch of sunflowers will be planted in her daughter's backyard.