Are you avoiding or procrastinating on starting your own goodbye plans? Join the club, ’cause that would be you and 98% of humanity. Who jumps at the chance to make their own funeral arrangements? That person would definitely get the side eye.
But the truth is, when you do it right… it’s actually jump worthy. Truth.
There’s a strategy here that is anything but obvious. Don’t start off with burial or cremation decisions. Don’t start off with anything that a funeral director might ask you. Don’t. Go. There.
Begin by making a list of what makes you smile, i.e., what do you love?
That’s it! Start a big long list of all the things that bring you joy in life — your passions, hobbies, people — whatever it is that makes your life worth living. Include your talents, accomplishments, milestones. What makes you laugh? What’s quirky about you? What warms your heart, lights your spirit, calls your name and fulfills your soul (or whatever that means to you.)
This should make you feel good. You’re getting in touch with yourself, which you might rarely do. (Which is kinda weird when you think about it, how easy it is to lose touch with yourself.)
This game plan serves two key powerful purposes:
1) You’re in touch with LIFE as opposed to contemplating your demise.
2) You’re getting your first glimpse of what your goodbye party should look like.
When you’ve kicked the proverbial bucket, and it’s time for your people to come say Adios amigo/amiga, they will want to see signs of you there.
All those things on your list — they are the ingredients for your goodbye party!
How you arrange them, which ones are front and center (or don’t make the cut), creatively turning them into an event, or experience… some kind of keepsake of your life here on earth… that’s the juice of jumping into this project with some enthusiasm. Not dread.
Approaching your funeral this way transforms the process into something fun and fulfilling. I promise you! How can you not get a little jazzed when you’re tuned into the wonder of your life? And imagining the ways you can “say goodbye” incorporating all this good stuff?
It’s like magic. It works. I’ll be taking this a step further in the next blog post, but for now — try it out. Don’t worry about the next steps, just start a list of what you love and what lights you up. Subconsciously, you’re setting a scene for this to be translated into a highly satisfying, touching, and meaningful exit party.
And as always, if you could use some help jump starting this, get in touch. It’s what I live for. No pun intended.