Attending Your Own Funeral

Meditation and/or writing (10 to 30 minutes, depending on your willingness).

1) Entry

  • See it. Be there. Attend it.

  • Spend a few minutes just looking around. Who’s there? What’s going on? See it clearly. Be in it. Let go of your resistance to it. We’re all going to experience it. Wouldn’t it be nice to acclimate a bit?


2) Talks and Thoughts

  • What would your spouse say? Write it down, word for word, or at least carefully rehearse in your mind what he or she would say.

  • What would he or she actually be thinking about your life, beyond the niceties (word for word)?

  • What would your best friend say? (word for word). What would he or she be thinking?

  • Your oldest child? (the same)

  • Youngest child? (same)

  • What would the main speaker say? (same)

  • What would most people be thinking?


3) Draw a picture of your tombstone

  • What will your epitaph say?

  • What will your life have stood for?

  • What values, vision, desires and state of being was evidenced in your life?


4) As you meditate on the above, listen to “If Not Love.”

5) Notice the difference between actions and values.

  • Notice the ways that your actions or (lack of them) are not aligned with your values (with what you would like your life to be about, with what you would truly like your life to stand for.


6) Plan your planning

  • Determine a specific time, each week, you will review you want your life to truly be about and determine specific and/or repeating actions that support your values, including specific goals.


Fore more on this exercise please purchase “Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your LIfe” by Stephen Hayes.