Death
A common reaction to Death Dinner Party is, Why?. Why would you want to have an evening talking about death? Which prompts Ruby and I to say, “it’s not a morbid event, it’s about having a conversation that’s not being had, and one which really needs to be had”.
Death is, as Arrianna Huffington says in her book Thrive, “the one absolutely universal thing we all have in common. It’s the ultimate equaliser. Yet no one is talking about it”.
And while the focus for the dinner party is death, so much of it is about life.
In researching things all death, a dear friend told me to read Michael Singer’s book The Untethered Soul. There’s a chapter called Contemplating Death. In this chapter he raises the question – If you knew you were going to die in a week, what would you do? What would you do differently?.
He then goes on to say;
“You don’t need more time before death; what you need is more depth of experience during the time you’re given”.
Let’s read that again, “You don’t need more time before death; what you need is more depth of experience during the time you’re given”.
It’s not about what you would do, it’s about how you would do it.
If you found out you were going to die, you’d be stopping to appreciate every small thing life has to offer.
You’d marvel at the water coming out of the shower head (just like I did after I read this chapter). You’d notice with awe and wonderment how it feels on your skin. You’d pay attention to everything in sight. The trees, the different colours of all the leaves, you’d soak up – everything. The smell of food, you’d savour it. You’d listen to people as they spoke, with the greatest presence.
Death doesn’t need to be knocking on our doorstep in order for us to live this way.
We’re very good, brilliant in fact, at thinking we just need more time, to do everything we want, so we can leave this world satisfied and fulfilled.
We’re focusing on the wrong things.
This whole death stuff, it’s not about death. It’s about life. It’s about being present to it, honouring it, moving through it like today COULD be your last day here.
This isn’t something to be feared. It’s something to be celebrated.
“Don’t waste a moment of life trying to make other things happen; appreciate the moments you are given”. – Michael Singer, The Untethered Soul.
I love this.
I have to say, Ruby and I have been working on Death Dinner stuff since the beginning of the year. But it’s taken till now, nearly 6 months later, for this idea of death and life to really hit home.
Death is a gift. It encourages us to live life differently. With more purpose, presence and honour.
A colleague recently said to me, “death is a coming to your senses”.
Savour what you see, hear, taste. Savour what you feel – physically, emotionally, vibrationally. Honour each and every experience with the people in your orbit, from your barista to your family.
And notice how your experience of life changes.
Happy living x
p.s my last day in clinic is June 30th, back for in person sessions August 18th. I’ll be available for Skype sessions while in Europe though. As long as you don’t mind having a session while I sit on a balcony overlooking the Maltese coast? You don’t mind do you?
Skeptical about Skype?
I don’t blame you. Read what Eva had to say…
“I had my first Skype session when I was in London, on the other side of the world. I was totally skeptical at first, it’s taken me a while to stop questioning how it all works in the face to face sessions alone, so I couldn’t understand how it could possibly work when Clare wasn’t right there to physically feel what I was reacting to and responding to. As it turned out, that was one of the most powerful sessions we’ve had, so much that I didn’t want it to end. ” – Eva
