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
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
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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.