In our extraordinary imaginations, we can time travel, floating back to the past or drifting forward to the future at will.

Imagining the end of our life might seem like a depressing exercise. It is, however, an extraordinarily powerful Buddhist practice which has the potential to dramatically affect how we live in the here and now and the choices we make about how to live our lives.

Perhaps a more comfortable alternative is to consider that you are now very old and telling the story of your life to an attentive grand child.

What is the story you will tell?

What are the highlights and achievements?

Who are the people who have been most important to you?

Did you spend your life building walls or building a monument to humanity?

Would you have changed anything?

Creating the end story will allow you the opportunity to ‘back engineer’ and make good decisions right here, right now to start living your best life.

Bronnie Ware’s book The Top Five Regrets of the Dying reveals the commonest end of life regrets:

• I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
• I wish I hadn’t worked so hard.
• I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.
• I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
• I wish that I had let myself be happier.

 Drawing on that amazing insight and wisdom, you can prevent avoidable regrets, ensuring you start living your best life and start to work towards becoming the very best version of yourself.

So, be brave. Fill in the gaps in the Lifestyle Times obituary, and let this powerful exercise help you make some good changes in your life.

Right here. Right now.

The Lifestyle Times Obituary

…………………… died last night, aged………………

 

in…………………………………………(where would you most like to be living?)

 

…………………… worked as a ……………………(career)

 

achieving the position of…………………………(how high do you want to rise in your career?)

 

…………………………’s. (name,) major achievements included……………………….

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

 

……………………………will best be remembered for…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

 

…………………….’s mission in life was…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

and their personal motto was………..

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………’