In their incredible book, Life Lessons: Two Experts on Death and Dying Teach Us About the Mysteries of Life and Living, authors Elisabeth Kübler-Ross & David Kessler share their revelations in working with people nearing the end of their lives.
The book is such a work of art and there are so many lessons and universal truths about the human experience expressed in the final days of life and captured here. I read the book several years ago and I recently revisited the highlighted ideas that I found most impactful. Here are 6 sentiments that continue to resonate deeply, weaving a small and important story about a big and all-important topic.
“In facing loss, the people we have worked with realized that love is all that matters.” - p.4
“Life hands us lessons, universal truths teaching us the basics about love, fear, time, power, loss, happiness, relationships, and authenticity. We are not unhappy today because of the complexities of life. We are unhappy because we miss its underlying simplicities.” - p.4
“Love, that thing we have great difficulty even describing, is the only truly real and lasting experience of life. It is the opposite of fear, the essence of relationships, the core of creativity, the grace of power, an intricate part of who we are. It is the source of happiness, the energy that connects us and that lives within us.” - p.19
“The lesson is that we don’t always recognize love because we categorize it, declaring romantic love to be the only “real” kind. So many relationships, so much love all around us.” - p.41
“This is one of the purposes loss serves in our lives. It unifies us. It helps deepen our understanding of each other. It connects us to one another in a way that no other lesson of life can.” - p.63
“To live in the present, then, is to live in love, not fear.” p.119
As it relates to impactful storytelling, there is a very important truth that authors’ Kübler-Ross and Kessler share in the book: “We think sometimes we’re only drawn to the good, but we’re actually drawn to the authentic.”
I hope you enjoy hearing the different answers that bring authenticity to this final question in this series: At the end of your life, what story do you hope others tell about you?
In the next and final episode in this series, I reflect on 3 themes that emerged through the 63 individual pieces of audio captured in conversation with the nine creatives.
To be continued…
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Meet the 9 Creatives Featured in This Series
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Sound & Music Credits
Marker by LinaManjarrez -- https://freesound.org/s/560140/ -- License: Creative Commons 0
Mouse click doubleclick by dersuperanton -- https://freesound.org/s/434467/ -- License: Attribution 4.0
tattooMachine.wav by johndevilman -- https://freesound.org/s/221589/ -- License: Creative Commons 0
paint brush.wav by 14FPanskaPavlik_Filip -- https://freesound.org/s/420060/ -- License: Creative Commons 0
Deep Breath by rrehl -- https://freesound.org/s/717167/ -- License: Creative Commons 0
Old Video Game 5 by sonically_sound -- https://freesound.org/s/624882/ -- License: Attribution 4.0
School bell.wav by deleted_user_7020630 -- https://freesound.org/s/378394/ -- License: Creative Commons 0
The Ghost of Me - Barbra Lica (Imposter Syndrome ℗ Barbra Lica Music) is used with permission from Barbra Lica
Lofi Jam by John Bartmann is licensed under a CC0 1.0 Universal License.