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That exercise is to write ‘the day you died’.
Writing your obituary is good, but I like visuals. I like to picture the moment.
We’ll jump into our Delorian (Back to the Future?) and go into the future for this post.
Why Write The Day You Died
How did I get to this age so quickly?
Last week I was at my son’s high school football game.
I feel like I just finished high school football.
Life flies by fast. Way too fast.
Writing The Day You Died helps bring things into perspective.
It helps you focus on what matters and, most importantly, who matters.
How To Write The Day You Died
1. Tap into your future self.
Pretend you are writing to your present-day self from your future self. Your future self is writing to you to discuss what’s happening in their world. It’s a great exercise to tell your present-day self all that is happening and give yourself peace of mind that it will be ok.
2. Who is there, and what do they say?
I would recommend picturing yourself in a hospital room. Answer these questions:
Who is there?
What does their life look like now?
What did they say to me?
What did I say to them?
Was I successful?
What mattered to me then?
What didn’t matter to me then?
What did I regret?
3. Pen the letter.
Write a letter to your present self from your future self. You’ll see my letter to myself below. This took me a couple of tries to put together. It was an emotional roller coaster to create. But, you’ll see it’s pretty simple. Who was there and what did they say to you?
The Day Mike Ruman Died
Dear Mike –
Today you died. It was beautiful.
You laid in the hospital bed, surrounded by your wife, your kids, your grandkids, your friends. They were all there.
You weren’t in any physical pain, but emotionally you were a mess.
Sadness, excitement, anxiousness, but mostly overwhelming joy.
This was the last time you’d see your family and friends … until heaven.
The nurse told everyone it was ‘time’. Your breaths were getting harder and harder to manage.
Katie was the first to say her goodbye. “Daddy, thank you so much for adopting me, for giving me an amazing life. I don’t know how I’ll manage without you here. The phone calls, the texts. You’ve always been there for me. I love you.”
Sydney was next. “Well, it’s been fun, dad. I’ll miss having you over, wrestling with my kids. You’ve always had fun with us. I know I’ll see you again. I love you so much.”
Kyle slowly walked over. “Dad, you mean the world to me. You’ve shown me what it means to be a man. I’m honored to be your son. I love you.”
Cooper grabbed your hand, looked you in the eye and said “Dad, you are the best. Thank you for everything. You’ve taught me so much. I will make you proud.”
Tears filled your eyes as Lisa slowly walked up. She bent over, kissed your forehead, and whispered in your ear “Thank you for all the adventures we had together. I love you, I’ll see you soon.”
You then took your last breath and it was all over.
Remember, Mike, it will all be over soon.
Love every day.
Live every day.
Cherish every single moment you have.
From Future Mike
