LEARNING TO DIE IN ORDER TO LIVE

We've heard how a close brush with death can make a person suddenly realize what is truly important in life. We know from those who have had near-death experiences that a life review compels us to reevaluate how we've lived. We know from holding the hands of our loved ones who pass into the beyond that there is something extremely profound going on during this transition. But do we have to wait until we die to gain the benefits we suspect lie in wait for us? Stephen Levine, who spent a year of his life as if it were his last, says no. It is through actually practicing our dying that we learn how to truly live. He tells us how to stop "hopping around on one leg, unwilling to commit to life, unwilling to complete our birth, thinking that tomorrow's going to be the day we have our life."