Die Like You were Living

"Live like you were Dying" is the name of a famous country song. Through this song the singer,Tim Mcgraw, and the songwriters Craig Michael Wiseman, James Timothy Nichols and Tim Nichols, share a message; to live as if you only had a few months left, so that you will cherish and enjoy every moment. The grind and responsibilities of daily life can distract a person from their core purpose and from prioritizing the activities and people that are important to them.

I went skydiving

I went Rocky Mountain climbing

...And I loved deeper

And I spoke sweeter...

"Someday I hope you get the chance

To live like you were dying

My concern with this philosophy is that a person cannot succeed in life when focused on death and mortality; life is vibrant only if you live vibrantly. You can only set goals and pursue them with vigor if you are visionary and forward thinking. The doctor would have never started med school if he thought he would die before he graduated and the great Torah scholar would have never even begun to learn the alef bais. It would be naive to take the message of this song literally; rather common sense is needed to know when and how to internalize and personalize the insights expressed in this poem.

However the same way the phrase "Live Like you were Dying" is a theoretical concept that elucidates a concrete principle, so too, the other side of the coin, "Die like you were Living", when applied in the right context, can bring great insight and inspiration.

Through the course of their life most people face great pain and suffering, either through direct experience, or by witnessing the challenges and failures of someone they care about. The death of a loved one, cancer, romantic breakups, economic failure and a miscarriage are just some of the struggles human beings face on this earth. The journey to success is filled with more doubt than certainty, while tranquility and happiness often seems to be just beyond our grasp.

Despair is an understandable emotional response to a situation that seems to offer little hope for the future. Although the effort seems futile, if you try to improve your situation, at least you will go down swinging. You will witness dividends from your effort and be able to share these blessings with the people you love. Even if you don't beat the cancer; you might live one extra year, meet someone you can encourage, or at the very least, experience one more moment of hope. The addict who succumbs to an overdose, or the suicidal schizophrenic who does not make it to the hospital, if they made the effort towards rehabilitation and a greater level of functioning, they will die with the comfort of knowing that they tried.

When the rat race stops you from focusing on what is important in life, follow the advice to "Live Like you were Dying." The phrase "Die Like You Were Living,"  advises, that in your moment of despair, focus on the goals you can accomplish, the goals that are within your reach, regardless of what is happening around you, and irrespective of the greater heights you wish you could have attained. When you feel hopeless and confused, because you are dying, or because you feel like you are dying, continue to make the effort to improve your matzav*.

Similar to the miner who found oil in the act of searching for gold; whether or not your shovel hits "gold," you will still find yourself ahead. Live or die, at least you will be happy.

*Matzav- situation/ environment/ lot in life.

Check out the chorus and other key phrases. I also included links to the full lyrics and to videos of Tim McGraw and Zach Seabaugh, another country artist, singing this song. https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/timmcgraw/livelikeyouweredyin.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjRXGqRofE4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0YZcih5Yow

Live Like You Were Dying

I asked him

"When it sank in

That this might really be the real end

How's it hit you

When you get that kind of news?

Man, what'd you do?"

He said

...And I became a friend a friend would like to have

And all of a sudden going fishin'

Wasn't such an imposition...

I finally read the Good Book, and I

Took a good, long, hard look

At what I'd do if I could do it all again

And then...

I went skydiving

I went Rocky Mountain climbing

I went 2.7 seconds on a bull named Fumanchu

And I loved deeper

And I spoke sweeter

And I gave forgiveness I'd been denying"

And he said

"Someday I hope you get the chance

To live like you were dying

Like tomorrow was a gift

And you've got eternity

To think about

What you'd do with it

What could you do with it

What did I do with it?

What would I do with it?

Wheel of Time

"No-one is going to die," is a cliche that is oftentimes used to bring perspective to a mistake or failure.  A recent gaffe on a late-night comedy show brings home this point. Jennifer Lawrence, a famous actress, filled in for Jimmy Kimmel on his show, Jimmy Kimmel Live, on November 3, 2017. During the interview with Kim Kardashian, Jennifer realized that she did not know how to end the segment and transition to a break. She messed up on live TV and had to ask the producer for help in front of the audience! She fumbled, then pulled through, and the show went on. No-one died.

Exaggeration can be a useful tool to highlight an abstract idea. However, in many situations mistakes can be deadly; for example a doctor during surgery, or a soldier at war. When contemplating failures that carry graver consequences than making a fool of yourself, even this radical comparison would be to narrow in scope to provide perspective. George Washington, the "Father of our Country" experienced many catastrophic failures. These failures indirectly led to the great legacy he eventually built. Back when he led a regiment for the British army, it was Washington's failure to follow orders that led to the death of the French military commander, Joseph Coulon de Villiers, which instigated the Seven Year War between Britain and France (1756-1763). Although the crown was victorious, the debt incurred resulted in unfair taxation of the colonies; and taxation without representation was a key grievance cited as a cause for the declaration of independence, the Revolutionary War, and the representative democracy that emerged.

American pioneers were the quintessential risk takers and it is the same spirit and vision that drove them, that made the United States the success it has become. Success can only come from the willingness to take a risk, but every failure brings with it pain. Considering that we are rarely given the bird's eye view, it can be difficult to understand what lesson to learn and how to course correct for the future. In the book Tuck Everlasting, Winnie Foster contemplates whether to drink from the magical fountain and live forever. Her gravestone is described at the end of the book, so we know that ultimately, she chose not to drink the water. She realized that life is dynamic; eliminating risk would mean the wheel of time would stop turning for her. Each person has their space on the canvas, and a paintbrush with which to make their mark on the universe. Black or white, large or small, you alone can sign your signature.

Forward from the Past

You cannot undo the past.
Try to redo the past;
you will be doomed to repeat the past.

But,

If you learn from the past,

You can move

Forward from the Past

Good or Bad,

Happy while Sad?

The past can be sweet or bitter indeed.

However you feel and whatever you see,

Relinquish, Let Go, Release.

Resist the temptation,

The idea and the notion,

The past; your burden to be.

Take heed,

You cannot undo the past,

nor redo the past,

But,

If you learn from the past,

You can move forward from the past.

Your heart will be freed,

With the wisdom you need,

To embrace the challenge and glory,

a world of opportunity,

the future, a canvas, your story!

For my Kingdom awaits, and I've forgiven my mistakes. 

I'm coming home, I'm coming home.

Tell the world: I'm coming home!

Let the rain wash away;

All the pain of Yesterday.