Tuesday 14 August 2012

5 Months to Live - Life Goals


Five months to live? What had I had hoped to achieve in my life and what is still achievable in my short time remaining?  Conceiving some 'life goals' in an 'entire life' kind of way is a pretty intangible concept so I'll start idealistic (happy fun land).  Next month I'll get realistic with short term goals and a 'Physical Legacy'.

If you wish to join me and contribute, my challenge for the month is to ask: 

1) What would you like people say about you at your funeral?
2) What are your core values? 
3) What would you strive to achieve if you knew you could not fail.

What would you like people to say about you at your funeral? 


Don't worry about what they would actually say.  That's might be TOO much of a reality at this point.

So here is mine... I hope someone prints this out to read at my funeral.  Actually, all I really need to do is pay someone to read this out.... awww MAN.  All this time spent reflecting, and for WHAT!

Molly was an Anthropologist and Explorer, fascinated by people and what made them tick.  She was deeply committed to learning, never becoming ‘old of mind’.  She continuously strove to become a better person.  She inspired the people around her to think in new ways.  She was a funny friend, an empathic mother, a passionate wife and a thoughtful daughter who cherished her loved ones and made sure they always knew it.  She committed large chunks of her life to protecting the natural environment.  She was obsessed with volunteering as a key to happiness and went out of her way to help others in need.  She vowed never to take her amazing luck and privilege for granted; if she lost perspective she would put herself out of her comfort zone to regain it.  She wrote many books and made films.  She changed the world with a ground-breaking idea.  Her puns were well intentioned.  Her double chin made her more likable.  From the age of 33 she became exceedingly punctual and was never late ever again.

I'll do the super-happy dance if you contribute your funeral speech... part 2) and 3) to come

xx

2 comments:

  1. I will read it. Now, go write your book!

    This is what I would like people to say and reflect who I wish to be a lot more than it reflects who I am:

    Elissa was brave. Not because she was a thrill-seeker, or because she achieved greatness, but because she kept searching, even when she felt afraid.

    As a sensitive soul she made a caring friend, an emotionally available mother, and was the best wife in the history of wifedom. But, she also wounded easily, and her sharp tongue could inflict damage before she checked her mouth. This meant that Elissa had to be humble. By her adulthood she had mastered the art of the apology, and was used to the taste of of her own feet.

    It is undeniable that people and relationships were the core of her world. Even her political views (and actions) came from a place of empathy, as she connected to the world through her heart, while trying to navigate it with her head. This too is reflected in what she left behind. Her art and writing so often exposes her deeper self that revisiting these will be both difficult and comforting for those of us that grieve her.

    Apart from her art and her loved ones, she lived for words and music. She danced every day of her life, and read ferociously. It would surprise some people to hear her talk about being shy, because she was usually the first person on the dance floor, seemingly unaffected by whether people were looking or not. This is what I mean by her braveness. She was comfortable being herself, living as herself, and acting on her own impulses, instead of being ruled by fear. Perhaps this is why she read so much; to remind herself that strong narrative comes not from the ending, but from the character.

    Despite her shyness, naivety, and frequent episodes of awkwardness, she was generous with her intentions. She never changed the world, but she made it a nicer space to live in for the people she knew. I, for one, am grateful to have known her. We shared many cups of tea and she fed me far too much cake, but she always listened to me. Somehow she knew when I needed words of clarity and when I just needed another cup of tea.

    OH, and, apart from that one time that she looked like a silkie bantam or the other time when she looked like show poodle until her perm settled, she had great hair! She would have wanted us to remember that.

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  2. That's awesome Elissa! I bags reading that one out if I'm still around when you're die peacefully in your sleep at age 104 xx Thanks for contributing x

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