“Imagine a funeral. The preacher’s giving the eulogy. And suddenly, the ‘guest of honor’ pops up out of the coffin!
It really happened. Talayi George Sogcwe of South Africa decided to fake his death as a test.
‘I wanted to know what people say about me when I’m dead,’ he said. ‘I’m satisfied they spoke the truth about me and not lies.’
George says he’s gonna keep the coffin for his real funeral….which may be held sooner than he thinks, if he keeps pulling stunts like this!” (cited from “Strange World”, Campus Life, Vol. 56, no. 4.)
That’s certainly one way to find out what people will say about you when you have left this life! I guess the question is, “How desperate are you to find out?”
As morbid as it is, this is a great Life Coaching question! Not whether or not you are willing to fake your own death to find out what people think of you but what do you want to be said about you at your funeral?
To ask yourself that question is to explore what you want your life to stand for. It’s rising above right now, today, to float up, up, up and have a look at the BIG PICTURE of your timeline. So these are the questions to consider:
1. What do you want your immediate family to say about you at your funeral?
2. What do you want your extended family (yes, including in-laws) to say about you?
3. What do you want your friends to say about you?
Don’t go off on the wrong tangent here. This does not mean we become people pleasers; this is a picture of what you would like your life to mean at its end. Thinking these things through allows you to consider which way you are prioritizing what you value.
For example:
Is TV more important than listening to that talkative 10 years old?
Is it more vital that you “get ahead” than that you build honest relationships based on integrity?
Is it of higher value to live the “safe life” than it is to follow your dreams?
I hope you are tuning in to a clearer picture of where you want to be and where you are. Hence, the next question:
4. How are you doing at this point on your path? If you continue with things the way they are today, will people say what you want to hear?
5. Look at those qualities you really would like to have. It’s not too late. You are still alive! So what one small step could you take tomorrow to begin that journey of “becoming”?
It’s my great privilege to assist people to begin searching through the answers to these questions and coach them toward the picture they form of what they want to be and where they want to go. It’s much as a coach works alongside and encourages an athlete to go for the finish line. Decide today what that finish line is going to look like!
And, I don’t know about you, but I am now going to approach those open caskets with a bit more caution!
Bernice Lupo is a Life Energy Coach, author, speaker and trainer. Her life purpose is to inspire others to discover and live out the adventure of their personal design - the gold of who they are. Her highly acclaimed "GOLD Life Performance System" has assisted many in finding freedom and a newly energized love for living. Tap into this incredible resource at http://www.goldrefined.com
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