No one likes to consider death, much less read about it, something I thought about as I wrote this post–I don’t want you to instantly click “close!” But I learned something recently about staring death in the eye, something that might help you:
There aren’t many things scarier, for most of us. And if you’re like me, the idea of death has held terror.
But unless it’s quick and unexpected, there comes a time when we are forced to confront death, to take its measure, to stare it down.
Maybe it’s my age, but during my recent health scare, I decided to consider death. After all, I work in grief. I’ve walked alongside a few loved ones on their last journey, watched at least one take her last breath and death now has shape and form. I’ve seen it close up.
In the past, the thought of that final walk of my own would fill me with anxiety. But this time, it was different.
Before me in the OR was the unknown, and some risk. There’s risk any time you go under anesthesia. Surgery can go wrong. They can find something fatal. Anything can happen. And so I thought about what might lie on the other side.
My spiritual evolution hasn’t been a secret–I’ve written about it and talked about it. But how would it be when the rubber met the road? When I was facing that great unknown?
I’ve done more spiritual connecting over the past decade than I’ve ever done and it’s done nothing but reassure me that we do not die. That spark of us that is our soul goes on, just in a different form.
Family and friends on the other side have communicated with me and that’s not only been comforting, it’s allowed my fear to abate.
I spent the entire month before surgery doing healing meditations, rituals and self-hypnotherapy meant to release anxiety and promote healing. And my anxiety floated off. Now, I don’t want to make too little of this–I can be a world-class neurotic and when a good friend came into the room as they were prepping me for surgery and said “I can’t believe how calm you are” he knew what he was talking about. It was very different than similar situations in the past. I had no anxiety. At all.
And then, after all the woo-woo, using reason, I decided that I had nothing to lose, actually–that the great transition was just that: a transition. There was no need for me to have an automatic fear now that I’d thought it through and stared death right in the eye.
I felt a little frisson of not exactly excitement, but curiosity. And absolutely no fear.
If you’ve got anxiety over a health condition, a procedure or treatment, or even mortality, I would love to help you. Using a combination of ritual, guided imagery, journaling, I can help you release your nervousness and feel more comfortable with yourself and the human condition of mortality. Whether you’re local or in another city or even country, we’ll customize an approach that takes you and your emotions into account.
If you’d like to talk about how that might work, use the purple “schedule appointment” button on the hypnotherapy page here and set up a time for a call. Let me help you do what I did so effectively for myself.
I’m happy you reached this place Carol. I’ve done all the hypnosis and guided meditation plus I’m a woman of faith. It’s a big sigh of relief not to have that overwhelming fear with you.
Yes that is so true. Amazing how it can drop away, isn’t it? Thank you for sharing!
I needed to read this post today. I’m dealing with bladder cancer and hoping all goes well with my next scope. As a yoga instructor during my life after 50 I’ve been trying not to go down the rabbit hole and instead practice mindfulness and meditation. It seems to help. Thanks for sharing your fears and how you deal with them.
If I can help you please do let me know.
It sounds like your approach is helpful in everyday living as well!
It is! It’s a peaceful way to live.
I’m about to go for a major surgery and have been meditating which I find very helpful. I am much calmer for this surgery than my last one.
I’m glad. I wish you all the best with it.
I love your approach
Thanks, Shari. It was so effective!