Most of us live our lives day-by-day planning what will happen. We plan to get a job, work, earn a living in order to buy material things that supposedly bring happiness, only to find that in the end, we all die. It seems so futile. Should we live our lives only to plan our death? Or should we live our lives, knowing that we will eventually die and continue living?
I have a friend whose boss worked way into his 60’s thinking that he’d make more money figuring that he and his wife could enjoy a nicer retirement. This manager reached high levels in his government organization, was well-respected and was always exceptionally dressed. Unfortunately, after returning home from one work day he simply dropped dead. No one really knows what happened. He seemed fine, and then he was gone. But let’s take a closer look. He had lots of friends, but precious little time to enjoy them, or his wife for that matter. There are no guarantees on how much life we all get. The old adage that no one wants an epitaph, “He worked so hard at his job” or nearing death to say, “I wished I had spent more time at the office.”
This incident had a profound impact on my friend and convinced him to reconsider his own choice of when to retire. You see, he had been putting off his own retirement for similar reasons. His ego was wrapped up in what he did by day, and he felt it would be difficult to give up that status. Not only did he find it difficult to give up his position, he spent more time planning his death than he did planning his life. Wow! He had all the arrangements for his funeral figured out, written down and conveyed to close friends. The cemetery lot was purchased – alongside his parents with another space reserved for his sister (where would her husband and family be laid, I wondered?) He even had the music decided. It was so clear to me that his energy was focused on “death” and not “life”. Is it easier to just keep working than to slow down and get in touch with one’s inner self? Without the constant demands of a day job, often people don’t know how to define themselves and merely check-out of life.
But if they only appreciated that we need to understand the game plan better. It doesn’t matter if one is a project manager, a systems integrator, a secretary or a fireman. Each position comes with both status and trials. Every event and situation gives us a learning opportunity as we navigate through the twists and turns of this lifetime.
Life is more than work, and once we know our true mission, it gives us a sense of self and a peace as we move through life. The objective is to slow down and listen to self. Then and only then, can we learn our lessons – no matter what we are doing – whether working a traditional job or “retired”, to put forth the effort to “listen” to that still small voice inside guiding us daily. The signs are always there, it’s just a question of whether we are paying attention. Focusing on life means that we are paying attention and not just moving forward one step at a time until death.
For information on Joanne’s forthcoming inspirational memoir, The Circle of Life – A Journey Through Grief to Understanding – which chronicles the clairaudient messages from her father to console her widowed mother and captures her first year of bereavement to understand there was more to live for as the messages foretold – see www.josanpress.com.
JOANNE AARONSON, a former project management professional, is an ordained minister & intuitive life coach bridging corporate and spiritual worlds through her company, Life Transformations, LLC. She fosters use of one’s inner light, known as intuition to help person’s achieve their highest potential. In addition, Joanne publishes the monthly EmpowerChangeNow Newsletter to encourage creativity and intuitive development as well as writes the more spiritual Joanne’s StarTeacher blog. Contact Joanne at life_transformations@verizon.net or joanne@josanpress.com See: www.empowerchangenow.com
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