3 mins (Read)
Kwabena Brako-Powers
Based on personal research, I came across three most dreaded words that every man is afraid of inter alia: death, failure and poverty. At least a lot of people are busy with their lives just because they want to avoid the trio from laying their hands on them. However, it’s significant to remark that death remains the most horrific and dreaded word in the English Dictionary and/or the dictionary of man. I have seen palpable fear in the eyes of people who were scared of losing their loved ones; I have seen sick persons who gave up trying because they were, to them, ‘close enough’ to death; and I have heard people express such strong hatred for death as though it were a human being. One thing remains true that, what death is; what it means, and how you feel and see it depend on your perception. A great man once said that what one fears is that which will quicken his steps to his grave. However, I am armed by the truth that when we get to know something, accept its role in our lives, and maximize our options in the realm of things— we will disarm the damage and the influence of that thing on us. How about shifting our perception of death, so that instead of seeing it as something bad, you get to see it as the final rite of passage for all humanity?
Knowledge of Death:
For centuries, man has witnessed the falling and reproduction of its kind – creating the kind of balance our world needs for its survival. We have done and achieved so much as a specie of this planet. To better our environment and optimize our options, we have attempted to understand the world, and these ideas we have garnered have helped us and/or is contributing to our destruction. However, the proliferation of such knowledge have done little to allay the fears of man about one imminent aspect of his existence—death. In the same fashion one reads motivational/inspirational books, we need to read about reality/imminent aspect of our existence. Knowing about your health is good, but you also have to know about death—why you will die, why it’s important, and why making your mark on earth is crucial. Storing up knowledge about death helps to shape your mindset and mentality to achieve more. If you were told by your doctor today after he’d examined you, that you have five more days to live, how will you live your life? Often, one of the point of concern for many people is where they are going when they die. Will they get to be in the Christian hell or heaven? Where else? Apart from Christianity and Buddhism, no other religion has been close to describing the place one will end up when he dies. So many people are left on the hook guessing where they will be. This is one of the major obstacles to unraveling the dangers of death on humanity.
Accept the Role of Death—it’s Imminent:
Significantly unlike some stories in the Bible where some prophets didn’t see death, at least our world is yet to experience such a miracle. I am yet to read anywhere that one of the teeming celebrities of this world, with haughty demeanor, will not experience death. Such a story does not exist. Perhaps in fiction books. Our only ‘victory’, as it’s often referred to, occurs when we escape from death. When one is taken ill and was able to make it out of the sick bed, and/or when one escapes from fatal accident unhurt. We call these little victories ‘narrow escape’ from death. However, this begs the question that: Could one prevent death? Not at all. Of course, I am not referring to prolonging life. I am talking about one stopping the power of death on his life? This cannot happen. At least for now. The same way we witness the withering away of plants, man will follow too. Nobody can stop you from dying. The second step in disarming the influence of death in your life is by accepting the reality that it’s part of our existence. We are born to die. And we will all die someday. These are the core truths. Running away from the reality is a mistake. You can’t run away from the truth. However fast your legs will carry you, the truth will continue staring in your face every step you take. Our stay, on this earth, is momentary. We are not here as permanent guests. This is what I know that we are here to make our mark and leave for others to takeover. Nothing is personal. Yes it’s difficult to lose a love one, yet it’s part of our existence. Why not embrace it?
Maximize Your Options on Earth:
Now let’s attempt to answer the question I posed in the course of the first step. If you were told by your doctor today after he’d examined you, that you have five more days to live, how will you live your life? It is painful how sometimes we focus so much attention getting evil out of our way that we don’t get to spend the same amount of time getting the good out of us. Imagine the kind of things we will get done if we focus on developing the power inside of us to better the lives of others and our world. At least you have today. This means that you are not dead yet. What if tomorrow doesn’t come to meet you? And in the actual sense, nobody gets to see tomorrow because it is always in the future. Every tomorrow becomes today for us. So why not get more done through the might of our intellect, thoughts, and actions. If you are left with just one day, out of your five days, to live, what one thing will you do to forever seal up your memory in the history books of the world? What will you be remembered for? Know that: you have today to make your mark. Tomorrow is truly not yours. Exercise: I want you to pick your diary/journal and write ten things you will do that are different from what you are doing today. Be truthful to yourself.
Trust me, you don’t need to be afraid of death. You don’t need to vent your anger at it. It hurts to lose someone so dear to you, but that’s how things are done here. Some have to go, and someday you will follow. Remember: it’s nothing personal. It’s just the way our world has been programmed. What we should be concerned about are; how to reprogram yourself to make the best out of your talent while alive; and being sure of the place you will go when you die. Live your life to the fullest, and harbor no hard feelings for things that are natural, and forms part of the make-up of man. Let’s get talking. Mail me on Brakomen@outlook.com.