Ah yes, nothing like the image of your cold, dead self in a wooden box to get you feeling mighty… but bear with me here…
There’s a powerful exercise in Stephen Covey’s book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, in which he asks you to visualize your own funeral.
Picture three people getting up to say a few words about you, the type of person you were, what you stood for, how you lived. The first speaker is a good friend or family member. The second is someone from your community. The third is a work colleague.
Close your eyes and imagine all three speakers giving sincere and glowing testimonies of you and the life you lived. Everyone listening is moved to tears as they remember how much you meant to them, noticing that the world is a little less bright now that you’ve gone.
Open your eyes.
What you just saw is what you’re aiming for. If you were to die today and have that very funeral you visualized next week, well, congratulations; you’re living an inspired life. Keep it up.
If, however, you think such a tribute is unlikely, well then you’ve got work to do.
Figure out what it is that you want to be remembered for, by friends, colleagues, community members, and everyone else. Work towards becoming that memory.
Is legacy the most important thing? Aren’t life experiences and happiness a better alternative? To live life now based on perceptions after death is foolish. You should do what you want, and live how you want. Trying to establish perceptions after ones death instead of living a worthwhile, meaningful, and enjoyable life, living up to one’s full potential is focusing on the wrong thing. The legacy and perceptions that are in the eyes of the beholders can change and be twisted. Do what’s right, do what you want and the rest will follow.
The title really drawn my attention, and although at the beginning it can sound creepy, then you realize that it can be an interesting exercice
Thanks for the comments.
Mark: I don’t think legacy is the most important thing, either. I’m not convinced there is a most important thing; just lots of stuff to consider.
I think for certain kinds of people, this funeral visualization is redundant, because they’re already living “a worthwhile, meaningful, and enjoyable life.” But I know from experience that it can be a powerful exercise for others.
I agree completely with your last two sentences. It’s important to follow your own conscience and not worry about how others perceive you. But at the same time you want to try and make life better for everyone around you, and they’re unlikely to follow if they have a negative perception of what you’re doing. There’s a fine line to be walked methinks.