The Gift of Life [DW# 850]
Nov 27, 2020
Let us wrap up our series on Momento Mori (remember death) by an expected benefit of the practice of remembering death.
Not only can it help us give our best on a day to day basis, science has shown that our "Memento Mori" practice help us cultivate deeper levels of gratitude.
Robert Emmons writes in Gratitude Works:
"This recent study found that thinking about one’s own death could make a person more grateful for the life that he or she has. Researchers asked participants to imagine a ‘death’ scenario (do not try this idea at a dinner party) where, trapped in a high rise, they are overcome by smoke and perish in a fire. They were then asked to respond to a series of questions convening their present levels of gratitude. The death reflection condition produced a greater increase in gratitude in comparison to two control conditions. Confronting the possibility of dying may lead a person to realize the accuracy of the British writer G.K. Chesterton’s insight that ‘life is not only a pleasure but a kind of eccentric privilege.’"
WOW.
"life is not only a pleasure but a kind of eccentric privilege."
How can we use and appreciate this gift – this PRIVILEGE on a daily basis?
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