It’s a Great Day to Die!
A New Year’s Celebration
Wow, what a crazy thing to say on the first day of the new year! Yes, it is—especially since this famous cry of freedom was uttered by Crazy Horse, the Sioux chief who defeated Custer at the Battle of Little Bighorn.
Why talk about death at the time of year when people are most focused on eternal life? What better time! Isn’t this season of rebirth the best time to celebrate a wake for the dead things inour life-the beliefs and patterns that no longer serve us?
Near the end of the month of December we endure the shortest, darkest day of the year—the day with the least light shining on our lives. And it’s also the month of the return of the light, as days get longer and brighter, and the life-giving sun shines stronger each day. It’s a great time to die to old limitations and outmoded ways of thinking.
Death is Not What We Think It Is
The word used for “death” in the Aramaic tongue-the language of Jesus and the Bible-literally translated means “not here, present elsewhere.” In most ancient and native cultures, the border between life and death is highly permeable. This natural transition is not feared, but rather welcomed as an opportunity to liberate oneself from endless unconscious cycles of repeating patterns.
Death-the inevitable ending of each life event-is actually something that we experience in every moment of our lives. Transitions from life-to-life, as well as from moment-to-moment, are opportunities to renew our lives with fresh, authentic passion, excitement and vitality. In facing the truth of death directly, we have the opportunity to come fully into life. “Die to the moment!”