There’s a common theme in those motivational quotes you see printed against backdrops of beach scenes or starry skies and posted around on social media – it’s the ‘live like it’s your last day on Earth’ idea.
It’s an idea that certainly has merit, not to mention a large dose of motivation inherent in it. But there are two snags to it: it’s not practical on a long-term basis (you’d never get any food in!) and, well, it could be seen as a little bit selfish.
So when I read the short book, ‘Escaping a Counterfeit Life’ by Mousuf Chowdhury recently, one of the chapter titles really caught my eye: ‘It’s not your last day, it’s theirs.’
Chowdhury posits that if you treat everyone you meet with the attention that you would give them if it were their last day on Earth, that your life (and theirs) would be transformed for the better. He suggests that you would be kind to them, help them achieve their plans for the day, not speak ill of them and really listen to them, resisting the urge to finish their sentences in a hurry to be the next one to speak.
And his last suggestion is even more powerful:
“Don’t opinionate all over them. What does it matter if I change their minds today? Do they really need my fantastic thoughts? They are going to die anyway. Rest in peace, baby.”
If we behave as if it’s our own last day on earth, we might be concerned with our legacy, our ‘output’ and having one last bash at getting our ideas sown. But change things around and we become the listener, open to the messages of others and naturally more empathetic. We become our best selves or, as we like to put it, at Peace.
Over to you
- If you are in a conflict situation at work or at home, how might imagining it’s the last day on Earth for them change the way you interact?
- How would it change the way you feel about them and yourself?
Do you know someone who could benefit from War to Peace?
If you, or someone you know, would love to spend more time at Peace this year, our next open-access War to Peace workshop is on 16 October. Spaces sell out quickly, especially our reduced priced tickets, so if you would like to attend, do book yours today.
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Be kind. It’s their last day on Earth.
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©Halcyon Global 2015
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