On Death and Dying

Death is never an easy thing to think about. But sometimes circumstances force you to think about death.

There have been a lot of deaths in the news lately. The first one that got my attention was that of James Brown on Christmas morning. I remember thinking to myself that the man did not get to celebrate Christmas day, or get to see the New Year. The man had such passion and energy that one though he would live to be a hundred! This was the hardest workingman in show business! The Godfather of soul music. May his soul rest in peace.

Then there was the holiday wishes phone call on Christmas day to a relative which coincided with the evacuation of a gentlemen, whom I do not know, to a hospital after just suffering a stroke and had gone into a coma prior to my phone call. A follow up call two days later confirmed him dead.

Someone also mentioned the story of the gentleman who traveled from the United States to spend the holidays with his friends and family in his native country and was shot dead by policemen at a checkpoint in Owerri, Nigeria.

Then there was the news of President Ford’s passing away.

And as much as I tried to tune out the news from Iraq, there were headlines all over the place that Saddam Hussein would be hanged in thirty days or less. This one really got my mind working about how much we take life for granted until death comes knocking. Death is something that happens to other people. But what if it is me and my time. How would I face death. I wonder.

I also wonder what goes on in people’s minds as they approach death. Any, all kinds of death. The sudden and unexpected kind, and the kind of death that you know is coming, either through terminal illness or impending execution. A friend once mentioned to me that he was drowning as a young man and was certainly about to die. He narrated that his experience was quite peaceful. Yet a sense of dread or fright takes over most people when we think of death or dying. Is it the fear of pain or of the unknown? I wonder.

I know that we will all die eventually. Somehow. Someday. But how does one come to terms with the inevitability of death? How does one prepare for and face death? How do I?

I do not have the answers today. Maybe I never will. But I can speculate on preparing for and facing my own death.

My death, whenever and wherever it happens, will be the end of the life that I have now and I will like and hope to face it with courage, and without fear or regret. The way to achieve that is to make the most of the life I have now to fully fulfill my potential, and to strictly adhere to the tenets of rightful living. Not knowing when that final moment will occur makes every second important, and count towards finding fulfillment so that when it does occur, I will be confident with the knowledge that I made the utmost use of my time here, and accept the transition to the hereafter.

I will prepare for this by mapping out my life in accordance with the dictates of my beliefs, values and mission of this lifetime. I will also prepare for the afterlife with the legacy that I will leave behind for my myself and my loved ones. My personal legacy will be continuation of the work that I do to make a difference in people’s lives in whatever way.

And for my loved ones, the legacy will be the knowledge I would pass on, the education I would give them and the financial freedom they would enjoy.

Speaking of this, I will have to find the time to review and make elections on choices for our wills, retirement plans, college savings plan and all other investment tools towards achieving this. The time to do this is now.

I hope you take the time out to do this as well. Life is finite. I wish you a life of health, wealth and fulfillment now, in 2007 and beyond.

Tuesday' Random Musings

Holiday mood is definitely starting to set in.

"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas..."

With all that holiday-ness, it is difficult but definitely advisable and possible to find the time between now and year end to start doing your tax planning, review your wills, insurance policies etc to ensure that everything is up-to-date. And to start setting goals for 2007 and beyond!

I just completed a draft of my business plan for the new year. Exciting!

I am definitely looking forward to its execution. Counting down to lift off...........

Today, I leave you with a quote:

"You can have anything you want--if you want it badly enough. You can be anything you want to be, do anything you set out to accomplish if you hold to that desire with singleness of purpose." William Adams

Friday - Random

I looked up some relevant economic data today:

Mortgage interest rates are projected to remain stable through year end

Sale of existing homes is expected to stay about the same from now through the first quarter of 2007

Unemployment number are expected to improve slightly

Not bad!

People of the Year

Beliefnet.com just named The Amish of Nickel Mines, Pa The Most Inspiring Person of 2006.

You know, the ones that forgave the killer who committing suicide after shooting the school children and then extended their arms in compassion to the widow and children of the shooter.

In my opinion, they should be on every one's Person of The Year 2006 list.

Talk about showing forgiveness! These folks have set the standard for the rest of us.

I know of people who have gone into verbal or physical slug fests; thrown away years of friendship; dropped good personal or business relationships - all at the slightest hint of a slight - whether real or imagined.

Let go, and let God...