On this episode of the Being Well Podcast, Forrest and I talk about coming to terms with mortality, the reality of our limited time, and how we can use that knowledge to refine our focus and live a more fulfilling life.
The median life expectancy for a man living in the United States is roughly 80 years. That works out to 960 months, 4,160 weeks, or about 29,000 days. I’m sneaking up on 70 years old, which means, on average, I’ve got about 10 years – or 520 weeks – left.
Putting the time we have left into simple numbers can be both a bit daunting and remarkably clarifying. Of course, I hope for many more days than that! But the truth is that our time’s limited, and how we use it is up to us.
Key Topics:
- 0:00: Introduction
- 2:30: Five reflections from Tibetan Buddhism
- 4:45: How Rick’s relationship with death has changed over time
- 11:05: Appreciating life as a comfort in accepting death
- 14:00: Dukkah, Tanha, and contentment
- 16:30: Distinguishing the ocean (reality) from the wave (ego)
- 21:20: Acceptance, contraction, and expansion
- 25:35: Finite experiences, and undelivered communications
- 31:30: “Life is for the living”
- 33:10: Giving, contribution, contentment, and fulfillment
- 40:05: What to do about regret?
- 47:40: Serenity in old age
- 49:00: Practical ways to hold awareness of death
- 55:05: Recap
