- How much
more powerful would
you be if you didn't fear death?
- How much more self confidence would you have if
you didn't fear death?
- If you didn't fear death, what could possibly
stand in your way or stop you?
This weekend I gave a short presentation at a
book store and signed copies of my book. I opened
the presentation with those three questions. I also
raised the subject of fear when I recited my
Mortality
Manifesto. In it, there is a line
that says: "Because fear is based on an imagined
future, my focus on the present makes me fearless."
During the question and answer section of the
presentation (always my favorite part) someone asked
me to clarify what I meant by "not fearing death"
and being "fearless".
I explained that there is a difference between
not fearing death and not caring about death.
Personally, I don't live in fear of my own death,
but that doesn't mean that I WANT to die or that I
tempt fate. I always wear my seat-belt, look both
ways before crossing the street and I do my best to
get proper rest, nutrition and exercise. I have not
taken up lion-taming, Russian-roulette or any sport
that starts with the word "extreme".
What I mean by not fearing death is that I have
made peace with the fact that I (like everyone else
on the planet) have an unknown and limited amount of
time to spend here. On a daily basis, my "expiry
date" tattooed on my shoulder reminds me that I need
to make the most of each moment and not to be held
back by fear.
When I speak about "embracing your mortality" I
am not talking about getting dressed in your best
suit and laying down to die. I am talking about
coming to terms with the absolute certainty
that life is completely uncertain. Once
you've done that, you will discover that it gives
you tremendous power, self-confidece and
fearlessness. This is what I call refer to as
The Power of Mortality.
After all - if you don't fear death, what can
possibly stand in your way or stop you?
ENJOY NOW!
