Death is Not so Bad

What is so scary about death?

The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.

Mark Twain

In many religious sects, death is revered. Amongst people who crave spiritual awakening, which is more than 90% of the people on earth, death is said to be the most important and necessary factor to attain the fulness of life. So why are you afraid of death?

I am sure we have heard this paradox many times, from many different sources such as the Bible, Buddha's teachings, the Quran, in Judaism, you name it, that "to live is to die," "he who loves his life must lose it," "you never truly live unless you first die," "die to all that you know, and you'll wake up to all that was not known," "until you first dine with death, you will never know what life truly is," "dying is graceful, especially when you know there's life on the other side," and on and on and on.

There are just so many versions to this, and just too many almost opposing sides believes this that, you are forced to believe that this might just be true. Death is a catalyst to life. So why are you afraid of death?

Death isn't as bad as we all think it is. What is bad is the fear of it. It is the fear of death that cripples us and deny us the chance of living. If you know someone who is truly living a fulfilling life, you can almost be sure that they have sacrificed themselves in the face of death, washed in the fiery water of death, drank from the cold cup of fire and risen again. These ones have conquered life because they have laid it down.

It is ironic, but the most beautiful things in life are just across the bridge called death. Knowing this now, isn't it ridiculous to be scared of death? Why should we be scared of what we are meant to wholeheartedly embrace?

Beyond the spiritual, death can apply to every single area of our personal life. The principle of death and life is ingrained in so many things. Let me take you on a journey.

If you want a fruit and a tree, you have to kill a seed. If you want to bag, or paper, or a table, you have to kill a tree. If you want to eat, you have to kill resources to get you that food, whether time, gas, money, energy, and sometimes all of the above. If you want to be fit, you have to kill comfort. If you want love, you have to kill the voice in your head that protects you from vulnerability. If you want to pass exams, you have to kill sleep, or at least whatever it is that you sacrifice to make your exams.

When you really think about it, there is nothing living in this life that doesn't first require the death of something or someone. Everything requires sacrifice, and sacrifice is death. To live a full life, you have to make yourself into a sacrifice unto death. As you have already read, nothing is deep about it. It's beyond just spiritual. It applies to every single thing in life.

So why are you scared of death? Why have you let the fear of death cripple you and made you stay away from experiencing life? How do you even live a full life if you're scared of dying everyday? Pastor no wan die. E no wan go heaven? Lol, we play too much.

Remember what the St. Paul said? To die is gain. He knew!

Imagine a life lived without the fear of death! How full!

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Think about physical death today, dear reader. The seemingly "worst" thing that can happen to a man, if it happens to you, what next?

If you're a believer in the afterlife, you'll cross into the afterlife, which isn't exactly so bad for you now, is it?

If you're not a believer in the after life, after dying, you just…, aren't. So what? You won't feel anything, or even know anything. Like a smoke in the air, poof, you’re gone, and added to the richness of mother earth somewhere. Is that so bad now?

When you have unraveled death in your head like this, suddenly, the fear of death will evaporate, and you begin to live the life you would have lived without the fear of death. You die, at this point, because you have played the scenarios of death in your head, and discovered it's not even that bad. At this point of death, you experience true life.

See now? How ridiculous the fear of death has been all along?

I hope you die in your head today, and experience a full life, today, and for the rest of your time on earth.

To your growth,

Abiola Okunsanya

Handzinspired. ✨