I was recently reading through Stephen Levine’s book A Year to Live, which encourages people to live as if this year were their last. This article is a concentrated version of the same, giving us a chance to face our fears and live more fully, among other things.
As humans, our awareness of death is inherent. When confronted with this reality, we tend find ways to self-soothe that, though largely unconscious, are limiting to us in our lives, our relationships, and our goals. In his book, In the Wake of 9-11: The Psychology of Terror, Dr. Sheldon Solomon describes how in the period of time following the September 11 attacks, the country saw an increase in rates of drinking, gambling, and other common vices.
Read about A Year to Live
Original article by Lisa Firestone, Ph.D. and published in Compassion Matters & posted in Psychology Today, May 15, 2012.
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