Willpower is an internal spark that initiates an action in our lives.
Oftentimes it is hard, to sum up, the willpower to accomplish tasks, but even more frequently we have trouble summoning up enough to accomplish the things that we need to do daily.
Unfortunately in order to trigger the most possible willpower in our lives, we need to be met with a significant trial or threat. It is a skill to be able to summon willpower outside of struggle, but it can be practiced and I am going to try to show you how while backing it up with thousands of years old advice.
When I was dying, I felt a natural tendency to fight, which summoned a clear purpose in me that gave me my “marching orders” to get where I am today. I recognize that not everyone will be blessed, with the opportunity to reevaluate life from their deathbed, but that is exactly where maximum willpower is created.
So, how do we get there without actually having to be near death?
We meditate on our death.
We focus on imagining being near death and consider what regrets we would have or what we would like to accomplish if we were to not die.
- What would the dying you say to you today?
- What would he wish most for you?
- Where would he direct you to spend your time and energy?
Macabre, right? Maybe so, but this isn’t just something out of a new-age mentality it has been practiced for years.
Buddhists do something that is called “Maranasati Meditation,” which encourages monks to remain mindful of the potential for death at any moment, deepen their appreciation and gratitude for their precious human lives, and cultivate a sense of urgency to continue their practice.
John 3:14 says “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so, must the Son of man be lifted up,”
In Moses’ time, the Israelites were plagued with poisonous serpents that asked Moses to intervene on their behalf with God. God told Moses to put a serpent on a staff and raise it up before everyone, and in doing so the snakes would no longer harm them. The symbolism here is that God didnt remove the snakes, but forced them to focus on and face their fear. In the Gospels, in the same way, he wanted the Israelites to look toward the snake, God wanted you to look to the cross.
What could be worse than being betrayed, innocent, and killed in an excruciating manner?
What God wants us to do is look to the cross and to no longer fear death, betrayal, etc. but embrace and use it to motivate us while we are alive.
This thinking isn’t new, but it is something that we need to be reminded of constantly.
Unfortunately with distractions like day-to-day events, and extreme consumerism, we lose track of our purpose and our connection to our life force. The reason these are so effective and profitable is that it is much easier for us to dive into comfortable distractions than face death. Ultimately, all of our creature comforts are designed to keep our minds off of the inevitable.
Even being near death, I sometimes forget how bad it was or how desperate I was to make a change or get a second chance. Even now, I shamefully take it for granted and need to revisit those moments to get refocused on what I need to get done, how I can help others, and most importantly be grateful for every moment remaining.
So when do we do it?
When we are demoralized: Deathbed reflection is huge during the times when we think we are at the end of our ropes! When you consider being near death, it suddenly makes less important things seem, well…less important.
When we are tired or lazy: I put these two together because they often go hand in hand. When you do your deathbed reflection it really makes you recognize how much energy you DO have and you can find the motivation to dig deeper and make it happen.
When we are successful we get comfortable: This might be the most common reason for our complacency. We often and too quickly forget the fight when we are winning. It is at those moments that we need to be extra disciplined in staying grounded and reflecting on death.
We can bring living fuller lives when we reconcile with death
