According to an article in Psychology Today, writing your own obituary can be therapeutic and inspiring. It can help you prepare for the inevitability of death. It can inspire you to not just be simply swept along with the currents of life, but to consider the bigger picture, and the purpose of your time here. It can remind you to live “intentionally”, rather than just drift along. It might spurn you on to, in the words of country music’s Tim McGraw, “live like you were dying”.
As stated in the Psychology Today article, “[a] good obituary can be a great tool for living intentionally. It can give you clarity, direction, understanding and a great sense of purpose.”
Tips from “obituaryguide.com” on writing your own obituary include:
- Just get started
- Read other obituaries for ideas
- Say what your life means to you
- Find three words to sum up your life
- Use the obituary writing process to inspire yourself
- Include a recent photo
- Make sure your obituary is readily accessible upon your death
- Update as required
Another option is to create an “ethical will”. This is a document that outlines a person’s values, life lessons learned, and hopes for the next generation. (My ethical will focusses mainly on the issue of pineapples on pizza.)
Once the obituary is done, ask yourself the following questions, according to author/blogger Marelisa Fabrega:
- If I died today, would I die happy?
- Am I satisfied with the direction in which my life is headed?
- Am I happy with the legacy that I’m creating?
- What’s missing from my life?
- What do I need to do in order for my obituary to be “complete”?
It may not be too late to develop new content for your obituary.
Have a great weekend.
Paul Trudelle