Being close to someone facing a terminal illness who was lucid all the way to the last seconds of their life taught me more lessons than I can possibly enumerate.
One lesson has to do with quality of life.
In the last six months of my former partner Gary’s life, he began letting go of old dingy worn out things in favor of high quality new things. New computer bag, beautiful eco-friendly new clothes tailored to fit, a handsome watch, you get the picture.
Gary was of the mind that he would live another five to ten years as opposed to months and this was his new lease on life. He also elected to become vegetarian and alcohol-free even though his doctors told him it wasn’t necessary.
This was his instinct. He wanted to improve his quality of life and that was apparent by what he decided to put in his body and what he put on his body. Gary also stopped consuming the news and other stressful programs.
Here was someone faced with the inevitable and these were the choices he made. As the witness to this transformation, I felt extremely privileged. What a gift.
Now, I’m not suggesting anyone shell out $4000 on new sustainable well-made apparel unless you've got it to spend, give up the news unless it's charming to do so, or let go of stressful programming unless you want to.
Rather, we have an opportunity. An opportunity to make choices that support our best potential for a high quality life.
What goes in the body. What goes on the body. What gets consumed physically, emotionally, intellectually. How time is spent. These are all choices and choices can become habits.
Some old habits are based on old ways of thinking and being, like, scarcity mindset, feeling a lack of abundance, feeling unworthy, settling for less, dulling the physiology, etc. Gary leapt forward out of this kind of habitual thinking due to a classic "wake-up call." He "woke up" and by instinct made changes.
With our twice-daily meditation, we begin to shed old unsustainable patterns and habits in favor of accepting, expecting and claiming the best. It is a much more gentle approach to cultivating a high quality life as opposed to receiving a devastating change of expectations.
May you embrace the quality of life you deserve and spread that joy around!
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