If you try to accept that even the human species will go extinct in a short period of time, you may be confronted with uncertainty. How will extinction happen? Nobody of us has any experience with that. Uncertainty is hard to endure.
Do a thought experiment with me and find out what death – knocking on the door – wants to tell us.
Life is too short for later
I have heard an audio book: Alexandra Reinwarth „Life is too short for later“ (only in German available). She describes how she and her circle of friends is confronted with another friend getting a new cancer diagnosis. Everything that is important in life stands in a different light. She decides to make a self-experiment. She gives herself a fictitious date of death in about a year.
I have chosen a fictitious death date for me too. February, 7th 2020 is my last day.
In this episode I tell a little story about this date.
And I am talking about what’s most important in my life for me. I am curious what comes to your mind, if you try as if. Please write what’s most important for you. Comment here or in the contact form.
Series
With this episode I am starting a series. We will hear some voices that will tell us about their imaginary last year.
The second part with Gia Barbara and Kevin Hester
Third Part with Pauline Panagiotou Schneider
Sixth Part with Catherine Thompson
Links
- contact form
- Alexandra Reinwarth: Das Leben ist zu kurz für später
- similar subject from Stephen Levine: One Year to Live
- One Step to Accept our Short Term Extinction
Subscribe
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Wendy
Thank you WOLFGANG! This was particularly relevant to me and i loved the story of why you chose the date you did…. My mum died January 7th this year. I think i will make it January 7th 2020. Seems as good a day as any and combining it with her ending date seems a good way to keep it in the front of my heart.
I am actually going through the same ritual of room by room clearing out – and it is marvelously uplifting and definitely makes one more aware of one’s physical space creating a sanctuary of the spirit.
I am also getting back into fire twirling… it has a whole body meditative quality that is so very important. Of course i still mostly make art – but i am finding the subjects evolving. But yes also more playing and laughing and allowing satisfaction and fun to be a priority.
Thank you for your podcast and looking forward to more in this series.
Amy
This is a wonderful offering…
NTHE warrants seriousness & accuracy. I was captivated until I came to the bold heading ‘Life is to short’…then I stopped. I know it is an easy error & for sure unintentional. But, as a concern for this being taken seriously & addressed by highly educated people – I encourage an edit to the word too. Suggested with concern, not criticism.
Granted, we’re all dead – so who cares, right?
Wolfgang
I’ve got it now. It’s about an ‘o’. Thank you, Amy.
Zombi
I recommend soprano Christine Schäfer’s Purcell and Crumb CD. Life, love, drama, death and skeletons…
Wolfgang
Thank you for this hint.