Wonderbringers Newsletter with Monica Parker
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Hello wonderseekers!
The news lately has brought into sharp relief the recognition that some people live with the threat of imminent death much more acutely than others. But of course, our sense of safety, while statistically real, is also an illusion. Because any of us can die at any moment for any number of reasons, from the dramatic to the banal.
I think of death often. Not in a morbid sense so much, but more as an accelerant. It spurs me — the knowledge that the time I have, and even more so the time I have with those I love, is not only finite but uncertain. I don't want to have regrets on my death bed (or even worse, the death bed of a beloved. The former, presumably, I wouldn’t have to live with very long; the latter, the regret would take root and have time to grow.)
The top regrets of the dying tend to fall into three categories: risk, meaning, and connection. People wish they had lived and loved boldly. I think I’ve done pretty well in that department. They wish they had sought more meaning in big and small moments, and lived “their truth.” That’s one I strive for and is actually at the heart of a big change I am in the process of making now (more on that another time.) And the last is they wish they had built and maintained deep relationships. My bouncing around multiple countries (see risk and meaning) makes connection harder, but I am consciously endeavoring to invest in those relationships as best I can.
Below, three questions to ask yourself about risk, meaning, and connection that may help you prepare for dying, or just embrace living a bit more.
Some wonderbringers for me this week:
The afterlife without God: The great beyond in a secular age.
How I raised a saint: London-born teenager set to become the Catholic Church’s first millennial saint.
Read: Sebastian Junger, In My Time of Dying.
In just two weeks, I’ll be back in the Emerald Isle! First, in Belfast, where I’ll be meeting with business leaders and members of the Queens University Belfast team. Then I’ll be recording a podcast hosted by Adoreboard that you can join live! Later in the week, I’ll be at the InvestHer Summit in Dublin. Tickets are still available, and based on last year’s amazing experience, it is not to be missed!
With wonder,
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