How Do You Want People To Remember You?
The full question that I'm really asking is "How do you want people to remember you after you die". I know that when asked that question, there are some of you would answer, "Who cares?". However, the majority of us do actually care how we will be remembered by others after we die.
In cases of terminal illness (and planned suicide), someone generally knows when they're going to die. These people tend to go through the process of making peace and "setting things right" with others. They have that golden opportunity to clear things up and to have a more positive exit from this world. If they want to, they have a chance of being remembered in a more positive light after they've died.
The rest of us, on the other hand, have no clue when we're going to die. There are no second chances to make things right, to clear the air and to begin to treat others the way we ought to have been treating them during our lifetime.
I decided to write this today, due to some recent deaths I've been exposed to very in the last few weeks- a friend I've known for many years; a neighbor who lived a few houses away; and an impending death of a friend of a friend.
I do tend to self reflect a lot in general, but I especially do it after someone around me has died. I think about my relationships with others and my interactions with strangers. I wonder how will people remember me after I die and what feelings they will have about me. I wonder what types of emotions they will have when thinking about me. In other words, I self reflect in order to make sure I treat others the best I can, that I'm leading a good life with good relationships with others.
I'm not giving you any answers or "how to's" today. I'm just putting out some questions for you to ask yourself and leave it up to you to either continue what you're doing or if you feel you have some areas in which you're lacking, make some improvements in certain areas.
Being that we most likely have no idea when our time is up, we might as well leave this world on a positive note, right? So ask yourself the following questions, and hopefully they will help you to do some self reflection as well:
- How do you treat others on a daily basis?
- How enriched and meaningful are your relationships with others?
- How friendly are you with others, even strangers?
- Do you acknowledge others when they walk by or drive by? Do you say hi or even just wave or smile?
- Do you express an interest in others, in what they have to say or even just to strike up a conversation?
- Do you give of yourself to others? Do you reciprocate? Are you generous with your time and effort?
- Are you mentally present for others in your interactions?
- Are you honest with others or do you make excuses and lie to others?
- Do you have unresolved conflicts with or resentments towards others
- (Add more questions of your own...)
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