The Eulogy and Self Awareness

Recently I attended the funeral for my Great Uncle. (ironically he was a lifetime Robbinsdale area resident) Now I did not see him that often, however every time I did see or hear about him I perceived happiness, wisdom and fulfillment. Quite simply: Al had figured out what was important in life and cherished it.

During the service the family played a reflective video that helped people remember the wonderful man. There was one particular slide that really stuck out at me. It listed key words that described Al's beliefs and behaviors. The words were important, however it resonated with me because it aligned with a self awareness and improvement technique that I fully support. It is written about in several books, yet I'll try to describe it because I could not find a good link.

Eulogy and Self Awareness

• Imagine that you are attending your own funeral
• Imagine that you are listening to "important" people that matter to you speaking of their thoughts and remembrances about you. These can include your spouse, children, friends, employer, community members, etc.
• Imagine and write down what you would like to hear them say. (key words describing your beliefs and actions)
• Now comes the hard part: Evaluate seriously how your current beliefs, behaviors and actions are aligned to the key words you want to hear. (ie identify gaps)
• If you are brave and serious enough, talk to these people and ask how they feel/think you are doing... Remember: DO NOT DO THIS UNLESS YOU ARE WILLING TO REALLY ACCEPT THEIR OPINION AS REALITY !!! You will gain only unhappiness and distrust if you ask them to open up and trust, just to have you tell them that they are SO WRONG or SO STUPID !!! The only way you change their perception is by changing your behaviors and maintaining them for a long time. Even then you may not undo past damage that your behaviors inflicted...
• Finally, keep those key words in front of you daily and strive to live by them. Best start small by picking a few key changes and gaining confidence, instead trying to be a "new person" and failing... You can always add more later... And if you screw up, don't give up. Just try again. This will be hard at first because old beliefs, behaviors, habits, etc are hard to break. However, over time these new beliefs and behaviors will yield a happier life and new life long habits.

Please forward this link if you found the concept interesting. Part of my goal is to help people by spreading these kinds of techniques to as many people as I can. Because I think they can help many live a more fulfilling and happier life.