Can Death Be A Motivator?

[SMI]

A very close friend of mine died in a road accident 2 months ago.I think about him quite a lot. I often end up finding a meaning for myself that life is short and I must live it to the full. My question " Why we always try to get something for ourselves, even from a tragedy like death? "

[Guest]

Death is a good motivator. Check out these videos  

 

 

 

Also regarding your question... The ego always wants to get something for itself. It also tries to find meaning in everything, to find comfort even in death because it is always searching for something. It cannot be happy when there is no meaning and no explanation and especially no solace.

[JessW]

About 3 weeks ago one of my best friends life was taken from him. Death is a weird thing. It changes you. I definitely look at life differently now. I don't think it's wrong to want to use death as a motivator. I think you see how easily life can be taken from you so while we're here on this earth we should do everything we can do find that peace and true happiness. Because that's the only way to bring change to this world. And if death motivates you to get off your ass and really start living, then I don't think there is anything wrong with that. I know before my friend passed I was holding quite a lot of bitterness in my heart towards religion and God. And after his passing, I realized I'm never going to reach enlightenment unless I release that bitterness. Now, I still don't agree with religion and I have a different view of God( a better view I think) but I feel so much better that I released all the built up tension and I feel like I'm finally able to move forward with my personal growth. I feel like with any situation, negative or positive,. We should use to push us to continue our growth. 

Jess

[Avi]

10 minutes ago, JessW said:

About 3 weeks ago one of my best friends life was taken from him. Death is a weird thing. It changes you.

I am so sorry for your loss. 

When I started to and still do introspection I often contemplate about death. I always seem to get to a point in which I ask myself "What's the point if I'm going to die anyways?" "What will all matter?" I know this sounds pessimistic but I'm asking these questions from a very non-judgmental way because I honestly do not know the answers. I suppose I need to keep meditating and introspection 

Do you every have these thoughts and how has your perspective changed after your loss? 

[JessW]

32 minutes ago, Avi said:

I am so sorry for your loss. 

When I started to and still do introspection I often contemplate about death. I always seem to get to a point in which I ask myself "What's the point if I'm going to die anyways?" "What will all matter?" I know this sounds pessimistic but I'm asking these questions from a very non-judgmental way because I honestly do not know the answers. I suppose I need to keep meditating and introspection 

Do you every have these thoughts and how has your perspective changed after your loss? 

I do have those thoughts. All the time. Sometimes I just want to say fuck it and give up, but I believe we're all here on this earth to learn something. To reach enlightenment and that's why it matters. To get back to my true self. To learn to look past all this bull shit happening and find inner peace. Now as for my perspective, I feel like my heart is more open to others. I realized how judge mental I was and I'm trying to release that. I just want to live a completely open life with no judgement and find enlightenment and be a light to others. 

[Francesco P]

Hi everyone :-) reading about death immediately force me to talk about my father: after a childwood in which has been the soul of the family he died when I was 15 and since then I feel like my whole adolescence has never existed. I'm turning 22 this year and, even thought I'm studying engeneering and I kinda like it, I know that in the future my only purpose will be to help people. But the problem is that I don't know how and I'm not sure that engeneering will be helpful to this dream. In this age I feel that the funnel of my life is getting more and more narrow. I'm also not sure that I'll ever be a good father since mine has left me so early. 

Francesco

[Truth]

about 2 weeks ago,  I became super conscious of my death, and it actually motivated me to do the 7 day challenge Leo recommenced.

What I realized is I just kept writing things I valued, and things I thought wasted my time, it really gets my priority's straight. It's a scary thing but once you accept it, it can help ground you more than you think.

[Denis]

To be honest since I started doing personal development my fear of death has gotten lesser and lesser.  The more I learn about spirituality and enlightenment the less I fear death.  Now I don't use that as an excuse to do nothing, but I simply accept the fact that my death could come at any time.  I feel that fear in general is not a great motivator.  You don't want to act out of fear, even if it is fear of death.

[Lee]

Do you think if death was called something like snuggle bug people would be as afraid of it? I personally don't really fear the inevitable " big sleep". What I now fear is not living my life to its full potential before this gentleman comes to collect me. At a spritely age of 43 and a stones throw away from the next digit up, and really just discovering all of this self actualization gold in the last couple of years, I feel a little cheated out of time. Why isn't this a widely talked about field? Crazy. But I still have enough left in the tank to make an impact, hopefully before my friend comes calling. We were all basically dead for eternity before this  interruption called life, just a mere fly on the windscreen of time before we return to our more natural state of unawareness. I used to think things like please don't let me die before I've seen the last lord of the rings film, that would be really disappointing. It's a funny old world. You have to laugh.

 

[Guest]

@Lee Don't worry friend, you have more than half a lifetime left to accomplish everything you need. And we assume that we all live at least to the age of 100 of course. 

But your fear is healthy. This is my fear too...my only fear. Not living my life to the fullest...not accomplishing everything I dream of before I die. I'm 25 and I also already feel cheated out of time because I discovered Self Help only at the age of 24. Funny what this fear makes us believe It's healthy to contemplate your own death, and it's good you are doing it. Maybe it will motivate you so much that you start taking massive action to actualize yourself as much as you can, or even become enlightened...before it's all too late...

[Lee]

To become enlightened is the end goal if I have the commitment to stay the true path. I have already taken massive action over the last few years by selling house and putting myself in a position where I have the next five or so years to dedicate myself to more purposeful things. It's really weird that you specifically replied because I have seen some of your posts and thought cool name. And I have read the alchamist and loved it. But the really wired thing is that because I had seen your name I picked up the pilgrimage also by Paulo coelho. And am reading it at this moment. Crazy. Thanks for your input buddy and I hope you get to where you are aiming for.

[DreamSpirit]

Imagine the day you die is just going to be another normal day like the one you're experiencing now; you never know.  I find death quite intriguing and mysterious.  It's like we get all the answers to the questions at that point, or do we?  Who knows.  I once read a quote from Buddha that said "The problem is, you think you have time"  Our lives are really short compared to the span of the cosmos.  We really don't have that much time at all which does add perspective and yes motivation in some cases.

[kalter000]

All these thoughts about death can make people completely neurotic. Instead of living in now and enjoying present moment they will seek external stimuluses in hopes they won't regret their life before death. There is not such thing as "bad life" because life has no meaning at all. All value systems in reality are illusions. So, to operate in this world you have to create a value system of your own.
Striving for self-actualisation is based on ego demands, it's another hamster wheel. Personally, I'm doing it for fun and excitement of new discoveries. I don't care if I'll die tomorrow unfulfilled (oh noooo!!!), I'll think it was good while it lasted. And I'm having the most basic life you can imagine, Leo would shit on me if he knew what I'm doing 
Death is not healthy motivator IMO.

[JevinR]

Hell yes

[Abeo Maria]

@Truth what's the 7 day challenge you speak of?

[Truth]

2 hours ago, Abeo Maria said:

@Truth what's the 7 day challenge you speak of?

In Leos "Contemplating Your Own Death" video at 33:25, he gives an exercise and a challenge to really grasp and realize how important your life is and how short it is and it prioritizes your time.

 

Edited February 14, 2016 by Truth

[Abeo Maria]

@Truth I'm about to watch it now...pen and paper in hand. Thanks!

[Aldo Marchand]

Death is what's makes sense to the oppose of that called life.

If there was no death everything would be different and there was note be needed any rush for accomplish goals 

or alot of worrying about the future for example.