Some months ago I had the privilege of facilitating a few sessions with a woman who was in the end stages of cancer. Tethered to an oxygen tank and having had half of one leg amputated, she spent her days lying on her couch.
The week before she died, I asked her what she would most love to do if she could do anything at all. Her response may surprise you – she said she would love to walk in the park. Nothing grandiose, nothing expensive, nothing exotic – just simple.
It is very interesting to observe what appears to be important when things change, when life becomes threatened, when a loved one is lost. Suddenly, life looks different. I notice that in these times, people tend to value what was previously considered mundane. I remember a session I once did with a woman who had lost her marriage due to her having had an affair. She regretted her impulsive actions and was devastated by the loss of her husband. I asked her what she most missed about him. She said she most missed stroking his hair. Not sex, not exotic trips, not showing him off at exclusive functions – just stroking his hair.
It can be a very interesting exercise to imagine your life without the things you take for granted. Which ones would you miss the most and why? If you knew you only had a week to live, how would you want to spend that week? What would be the most important thing for you to do? Why are you waiting?
Consider this quote from Don Juan de Marco:
“There are only four questions of value in life…
What is sacred?
Of what is the spirit made?
What is worth living for?
And what is worth dying for?”
What are your answers?