Let's take a moment to think about the many stages of your life so far.
From your birth,
To your childhood,
To your teenage years,
Adulthood,
And maybe even old age.
Each stage of life is a sort of transformation,
And in that sense,
It's also a kind of death and rebirth.
Because the truth is,
We're dying all the time,
In ways big and small.
As Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius said,
What dies doesn't vanish.
It stays here in the world,
Transformed,
Dissolved,
As parts of the world,
And of you,
Which is transformed in turn.
Think of everything you've seen change and transform in your own life.
Consider your body,
Your friendships,
Relationships,
The environment,
Your sense of style,
Your taste in music,
Your own beliefs.
How do you feel about these changes?
Were any of them painful?
Were any of them beautiful?
The world is nothing but continuous change,
And we are no different.
When we begin to realize this,
We can see that death is simply one of nature's tools for transformation.
And in this way,
Your life is the result of everything that came before you.
And likewise,
You are the seed of something new and exciting to come.
So now,
Take a moment to consider the countless beings that have lived and died before you.
All of the plants,
Animals,
And human beings that have lived and died so that you could arrive in this exact moment to experience your life.
And consider this.
In what ways have you transformed during your life?
And how might you transform once you pass on?
We often think of death as the end,
But perhaps it's simply another way we grow and change.
And in that sense,
It may not be so scary after all.
So,
With that in mind,
Step back into your day knowing that you are here transforming and in doing so,
Very much alive.
