Disclaimer: Only for the Brave of Heart
At one point or another, I like to shock my clients with this particular exercise. I usually pull it out when I sense they feel:
- Unfulfilled, stressed, stuck
- Lacking direction or a big exciting life goal
- Playing “nice” not to upset others and to be loved
- Afraid to change something, though the old model has become painful (be it about their work, family life, friendships, health, etc.)
I always use some kind of disclaimer and ask permission if it’s ok to destabilize you a little. Because the whole point is to shake you up indeed!
Now, why would anyone agree to that?
- To get clarity and guidance, as if a lighthouse turns on in the middle of a stormy night on the sea
- To feel anchored and at peace, no matter what life throws at you
- To get the courage to grow and change what’s not working for you anymore
How can I promise all of that? Because I’ve seen it work hundreds of times. Including myself of course. I always love to test all coaching tools and processes on myself first, to understand the emotions and resistance that might come up.
So without any further ado, let’s dive in!
Your Funeral
Wait, what?
Oh yeah, you can read it well. In Czech, we have a saying that there are only 2 things in life that you can’t avoid: the taxes and your death. You can hear about taxes all they long and many people do succeed in avoiding it but death?
Why did it become a taboo? Sooner or later, it’s finished for all of us, right? Then it just depends on your spiritual practice, what you believe happens next. But we all agree that these bodies we use right now – me typing, you reading – those bodies will turn back to ashes. No matter how slim or fat, smart or dumb, rich or poor.
So let’s look at that.
The key questions are:
What would you like your ideal funeral ceremony to look like?
Who showed up?
What are they saying about you and your life?
How did you touch their lives?
What legacy did you leave behind?
Do take a few minutes to close your eyes and imagine all of this as a movie. You’re the director, so feel free to add the sound, colors, smell… to this scene. Make it feel real.
And focus on what the people are saying.
See the ripple effect of the lives you touched, how it changed their families, friends, colleagues… How your impact multiplied and spread out.
Pause to get a vivid picture.
Then you might want to note it down in your journal.
What stood out to you in this picture/movie?
What were the values that people appreciated most in you?
What made it all possible?
It wasn’t always a straight line, your life path, was it? How did that add value to who you became?
Advice to Yourself
Let’s imagine you could talk to your recently deceased self.
What would be the most important advice she wanted to share with you?
What is the first baby step forward she might suggest?
How would she suggest to handle any difficulty or fear that might creep in along the way?
How could she remind you later on and give you a gentle kick in the butt the next time you get off track?
Take time to note down all her answers.
Time for Action
So, how are you feeling? Not too shaken up? I hope you made it through with a smile on your face. But we are not done yet. It’s time to commit now.
What steps are you committing yourself to take?
What is no longer acceptable?
How could you leverage the power of micro habits to help you stay on track?
If you haven’t read my post about Micro Habits yet, it might be a good time now.
Well done! Let me appreciate you for your courage to look at what most other people run away from and realize only when it’s too late.
You have time. Who knows how long?
Make it count.
Shine bright,
