Before I die...

This week I have thought a lot about death. Frankly I hope that in writing about it I can stop thinking about it much more. I have always been interested in what it means to have a 'good life'.  When I was a child, Jean my mum's friend, used to tell me to 'try everything you can even if it is for no other reason than you can'.  Whether it is Jean's influence or otherwise I work hard and play hard and I am generally optimistic and happy.  I believe that when you die that is it - although I sometimes waver from this in conversations about Doris Stokes/or if you ask me about some of the weird things that happen at our place in Trebarwith - and so for me there is no after life to prepare for - it is only this life I have to play with.

A few weeks ago I went to a Genius Power Dreams workshop at PwC. They played this Ted Talk by artist Candy Chang, 'Before I die' - http://www.ted.com/talks/candy_chang_before_i_die_i_want_to - I recommend it. In her Ted talk Candy reminds us that it is 'easy to get caught up in the day to day and forget to focus on what really matters' - cues thoughts about what we can often end up prioritising, focusing on and getting bothered about at home or at work.

This week Maya Angelou died aged 86. What an inspiring woman. She lived a good life and will continue to inspire through her legacy. Closer to home a less well known, but a good man I was at Uni with also died.  He was 40.  He too had lived a good life. Too short, but a good life nonetheless - he had made a difference to people's lives - his wife and children, his family, the students he taught and the friends he made along the way.

This week I have been overtly reminded that few of us know how long we have to live a good life and make the difference we want to. A stark reminder and useful perspective to help create the dreams and hold on to hopes, guide the right decisions and bold actions and the appropriate compromises, to make sure we don't sweat the small stuff so we amplify or tone down our efforts to focus on what really matters.  

I am no expert on life and death. I know that being aware of your mortality does not mean trying to do everything today in case you die tomorrow but for me it does mean living my life so I know that when I die, be it next week, next year or in 40 years time I can do so with a smile on my face knowing I have laughed, loved, lived and helped, doing the best I can with the time I have had. That is my hope before I die.