One Month To Live

This is a short contemplation. The idea taken from the book 'One Month to live by Kerry Shook, a church pastor who saw how differently people lived when they only had a short time to live. This asks the question how would you live?

Transcript

Today I would like to read an amusing quote from Marcus Aurelius. Human lives are brief and trivial. Yesterday a blob of semen, Tomorrow embalming fluid and ash. This made me laugh when I read it but there is so much wisdom within these few words. Human lives are brief and trivial. Yesterday a blob of semen, Tomorrow embalming fluid and ash. We often live as if we are going to live forever. We hold grudges as if there will always be time to sort it out. We eat and drink and take care of ourselves as if there will always be tomorrow to fix things. We work and save or work and spend as if there will always be another day to save or another day in the future to spend it. But what if we don't have that time? What if we don't get that tomorrow to put things right? In the book by Kerry Shuck, One Month to Live, He says that in his role as a church pastor he spent a lot of time with the dying and he was amazed at how well many of them spent their last days. He said he asked himself why can't all of us live more like we're dying? He went on to try and experiment with all his staff. He gave each of them a journal and asked them this question. If you knew you had one month to live, How would you live differently? They were then challenged to live the next 30 days as if they were their last and to journal what happened. He said the results were remarkable. At the end of the 30 days many had a greater clarity of purpose. Some got serious about their health, Some reconciled soured relationships and for him he began to see how sacred each moment was. That it wasn't necessarily about the big things but life was in the small things. The car journey taking his kids to school, Spending present time with his family. He also talked about what was in the dash. If a person was born in 1900 say and died this year 2020 then on the gravestone would be 1900 dash 2020. He found himself asking what was in his dash? What would be his legacy? So today's contemplation is twofold and you might want to journal your thoughts after. What would be in your dash? What is your legacy? What are you leaving behind? And if you knew you had 30 days left to live, How would you live differently? Contemplate on these questions for a few moments. Maybe you would like to take this challenge up and decide to live for the next 30 days as if they were your last. If you do let me know how you go on. Thank you.

Reviews

Interesting challenge I will be proposing to friends as well!

Dear Mandy , you are absolutely amazing... you take some thoughts from my last few months thinking.. I have been thinking what can I leave to this wonderful world, life, a legacy to make a better world... to contribute with my humble soul, opinion, thoughts, actions... I m asking everyday myself, what can I do, to give, to serve to anyone cross my life... I do little things , everyday , every opportunity is presented in my life... some thoughts... thank you so much.... love your messages, all... I found you... thank God... in love!!!

Thank you for sharing!! I am definitely going to be thinking about this.

I need to read this book. Honestly I think I wouldn't change much. At 69, I am well aware of how much time I likely have left. Every breath is a miracle to be appreciated and used wisely. I will do the challenge, read it and see. Thank you.