Authentic Happiness - End of Life Wisdom for Many Joyful Days Despite Terminal Illness

The title almost sounds like an oxymoron. But the bold statement is more often than not true. If and when you are presented in life with a terminal illness, it's rarely a mistake. Rather it's an opportunity to grow and move beyond yourself. You hear the words “Terminal illness “ and think of this wholly unbearable drama to come. But It's not always just a tragic illness with no rhyme or reason. It most certainly has its place in your life at the particular time it occurs. Life is just funny that way. Therefore it might do you some good to explore a change in focus. Like a glass of ice cold water thrown in your face totally takes your mind off whatever you were involved in previously, allow your focus to change towards something new and extraordinary. Remember those pictures where you find objects within the picture? Stretch yourself to look for the new and unbelievable in each day, in each experience and in each person you come in contact with. If you look intentionally, you will definitely find incredible treasures reserved only for the observant and the patient.

The history books are full of stories of people who didn't even begin to live life as it was meant to be lived until they were about to lose it. You just might be the type of personality that will thrive under such pressure and challenge. There are people walking around each of us right now with such joy in living that you'd never suspect that they had a life threatening illness. Amazingly life begins to take on a different tone and flavor when the clock is ticking against you. You see things you never saw before and you hear things you never heard before. All of your sensibilities have a different focus now; life, living, doing things that really matter,leaving a legacy. These are but a few of the things that flood the thinking of someone who suddenly has a new appreciation for life.

One of the first logical things you might consider is how you spend your time. Unless you're an efficiency expert, supermom or you've already had a life changing experience, we all waste an incredible amount of time everyday. But when you don't have any idea just how short your time is here on earth, you want to use it wisely. All those things you wanted to do with your family? Your friends? Now's the time. All those people in your life you've been meaning to say thank you to? Now's the time. All the letters you've been meaning to write to those whom you know still treasure receiving a letter in the mail? Now's the time. That book you've been meaning to write? If it's still bugging you, then Now is definitely the time.

What it all boils down to is sorting everything out in your life. It just might be your last opportunity to weed out what really doesn't matter and get back on track doing what you once knew was important but somehow got off track and distracted with what you thought was supposed to be apart of your life. Once you've filtered out all the unnecessary excesses in your life, you could very well be left with what you always wanted in the first place; the simple uncluttered life, a forgotten childhood passion or just a happy fulfilled life. Is that all it takes you may ask. If only we all could live like there might not be a tomorrow everyday. Although it's certainly true that none of us is promised tomorrow, we tend to live haphazard lives , assuming that even the next measure of time is guaranteed to each of us. Unfortunately sometimes it takes something drastic to get our attention. Oftentimes we have to be stripped of life to appreciate it. It's human nature - the way we are. If you currently find yourself at this type of junction or stage in life, embrace it, learn from it and as ridiculous as it sounds, look for the joy in it. . What looks like a death sentence on the outside is but a facade that can be brushed aside like cobwebs to expose the beauty on the underside. Life is full of love, joy and wondrous discovery, but you can't be afraid of the pain and disappointment. It's all a part of the same life. Walk through this life. Take it all in; the joy and the pain. Be very grateful. And breathe. These moments are a gift. Treasure them.