Is
Death Really the End or the Window to A New Beginning?
by Laurie Hayes
Do we
really die? Does life really end? Perhaps there is an alternative
explanation as to why we leave this earth and why we showed up
here in the first place.
Earlier
this month I learned a dear friend had been diagnosed with
terminal cancer. She has been given less than six months to live
as the cancer has fully permeated her liver and pancreas.
Since
the diagnosis, her health has rapidly declined and the hope of
realizing several more months of life is quickly waning.
The
fear of death holds a mighty grip because what lies beyond our
physical existence is basically unknown and fear of the unknown
can be debilitating and torturous.
Our
spiritual beliefs play a major role in how we view death and how
we respond when we are faced with it. Those who believe that
physical death is the absolute end of existence may live their
remaining days or months in terror, anger, and regret, and assume
the role of a victim, the recipient of a ruthless injustice.
There
are others who believe that our physical time on earth is but a
learning opportunity on the path towards higher awareness and
evolution.
Everything
in the universe is made up of energy, us included. There is an
energy that brought us to earth in the form of a human being and
this same energy will move us into our next form whatever that may
be.
Do you
know where you were before you came to earth? Before you
materialized here in the form of a human? If you knew what to
expect on earth prior to arriving would you have jumped at the
chance? Imagine looking through the classifieds in your previous
existence and you read an ad that says.
Opportunity
to join fast-paced, tumultuous planet where you will be exposed to
disease, war, pain, hunger, fear and hatred. You will arrive
without skill or protection and must rely solely on a more
developed member of your species for food, shelter, comfort and
safety. You will not be able to feed or care for yourself during
your first few years of life and will not have the cognitive
ability to recognize danger or threat.
You
may spend your developing years in a loving environment or in one
filled with hatred, violence and pain.
We
cannot guarantee your physical form. You may arrive without limbs,
possibly be blind or deaf or suffer a form of impairment or
mutilation that might create challenges or hardship for you. We
cannot guarantee you love, respect or an enjoyable voyage. It will
be the role of a dice.
You
will be given a heart that can be broken and your spirit will be
challenged regularly. You will arrive on earth completely exposed,
unprepared and without a survival handbook. You will be expected
to learn, grow, survive on your own and make the most with what
you have.
You
are offered no guarantees and you cannot come back when you wish.
You are committed for an undetermined period of time and may not
return until you are called.
If
this sounds like something you're interested in, please sign on
the dotted line below and within seconds, you will be transported
to earth in the form of a human being.
Good
luck.
If you
knew what to expect prior to joining earth, would you have signed
up? The ad above contains no exaggeration or false statements. It
is reality as we know it.
As
human beings we also experience love, comfort, security,
happiness, accomplishment, learning, discovery, fun, pleasure,
elation, pride, success, growth and reward.
I
would like to offer an alternative perspective if I may, a
suggestion, something to contemplate.
What
if we are in the earth school to experience, learn, grow and
develop? What if it is a playground and a learning institution?
Life is nothing more than a series of experiences. That is what we
do while we're here. We do nothing else but create experiences.
Sometimes
we may be called back earlier than we'd like to be and although
earth can be scary and unpredictable, we would rather be here
where we have accepted our position than to head into the unknown.
What
if you had a glimpse of where you were going? Would it make your
transition easier?
What
if physical death means you are returning to your original, energy
state? Your real home? What if you knew you had earned a special
pair of wings and were being advanced to the next level in your
evolution?
In
your original state, you experience no physical or emotional pain.
You understand that everything is okay and that human life is a
wonderful experience. You may regret that you will no longer be
there for your children or loved ones, but what makes you think
you won't?
In
your original form, you may be even closer to those you love and
capable of guiding them with more success than you ever could in
human form.
You
may provide the inspiration a songwriter receives when she writes
a beautiful song that will ease the pain of many and give hope and
inspiration to your child in a time of despair. You may be that
intuitive voice that tells a loved one to turn left instead of
right, thus avoiding a tragic accident.
You
may be the gentle wind that blows through the hair of your
grandchild as he rides his bicycle across a field.
You
may orchestrate that serendipitous meeting between your child and
his soul mate and future life partner.
Contemplate
death as a transformation; the transition from one form of being
to another. There is no end because life is infinite. Energy is
transferred, not snuffed out.
When a
tree dies, it returns to the earth in an altered state and rises
again in new form. It nourishes the earth that gave it life and
contributes to the new life of plants, flowers and trees in the
form of food and nourishment. That tree that once stood 100 feet
tall now lives in the leaves of the beautiful flowers and greenery
that share its home.
Many
ask, "Why does anyone have to suffer?" Why do cancer,
disease and natural tragedies have to be so merciless, so cruel?
Once
we have transitioned to our new form, our human experience will be
the equivalent in time to the blip on a radar screen, the blink of
an eye.
While
on earth, the suffering may seem endless because we are bound by
time and space, but outside of the physical world, time does not
exist.
Maybe
these seeming injustices are played out to bring us back to what
is truly important and what we are here to learn. Sometimes we get
caught up in who has the bigger home, the fastest car, the
prettiest wife, the more prestigious title, and when we are faced
with the impending loss of a loved one or watching those we love
suffer, we are forced to realize that nothing of material
significance really matters.
What
if life does not end, but merely changes form? What if we do not
cease to exist, but transform? We leave our physical limitations
and pain behind and operate from a higher awareness, an
enlightened plane, an existence without borders?
Cancer,
disease, disaster and tragedy may not be a means of punishment,
but a bold reminder that we must live life to the fullest, to
appreciate all that we have and to show love, compassion and
acceptance for our fellow human beings.
Perhaps
we should celebrate when a loved one receives her wings because
she has been called home. Maybe we should not fear receiving a
call when our time comes because we will have learned our valuable
lessons and will be promoted to the next level of growth.
ABOUT
THE AUTHOR
Laurie Hayes
works with small and home-based business owners who feel stuck. To
receive valuable tips, strategies and techniques designed to grow
a successful business without sacrificing quality of life,
subscribe to her free bi-weekly newsletter at www.wheretheheartis-lifecoaching.com
Copyright 2005 Laurie Hayes
Reprinted with permission
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