Don’t Die Before You Have To

“I don’t want to achieve immortality through my work, I want to achieve it through not dying.” – Woody Allen

Unfortunately Mr. Allen, it just doesn’t work that way.

Let’s be honest. We all think about it. How? When? Painful? How will my family deal? And perhaps the most alarming unknown, how will I be remembered?

Death is real. And none of us can avoid it. It doesn’t matter how much money we have or who we know.

Look, I know what you’re thinking – “Why is he telling me something I already know?” But please, hear me out.

Supraventricular Tachycardia. Mini-Stroke. Aortic Aneurysm. Only a short list of what I was diagnosed with two years ago –

And the aneurysm; called for an open heart surgery that was considered high risk --

I was an emotional wreck. Death was constantly on my mind.

So much so that I started having panic attacks. Scary outbursts of anxiety that would come out of the blue… outbursts that were totally out of character, or so I thought.

I remember driving the expressway when I felt my throat tighten. Suddenly I was gasping for air. I barely made it off the road safely to calm myself down.

I felt like I lost all control.

And that is what it all comes down to… Control. You see, death scares us because we have no control over its power. In most cases we have no idea what form it will take. Or when.

But what if you did? How would this change your behavior?

For example, if you woke up this morning knowing you would get hit by a bus while crossing the street – you would likely stay inside, right? 

But this is not considered being in control. In fact, it is the complete opposite. Fear is in control.

Now what if, instead of staying inside, you crossed that same street but looked both ways? Several times? Or maybe you even took the time to cross at the light?

Approaching it this way empowers you. Giving you control.

This is not to say we can cheat death. But in certain circumstances, a small change in our thinking can make a huge difference.

As for my situation, instead of thinking, this surgery could kill me… I would say to myself “I need to be in the best possible shape before the procedure.” So I took action and exercised everyday leading up to the operation.

Focusing on what I could control gave me a sense of authority. I was putting matters in my own hands instead of someone else's.

This shift in attitude helped me get through a very tough time. The surgery was successful and now I’m looking forward to the rest of a long, happy life. I credit a lot of it to positive thinking.

According to the Mayo Clinic “Positive thinking just means that you approach unpleasantness in a more productive way.” And control plays a big part in doing that.

Sometimes as we get older and our health changes, we inherit a defeatist attitude. But just because we reach a certain age doesn't mean we have to take it lying down -- pun intended.

In most cases there is an appropriate action to take. One that will liberate us and possibly keep death at arm’s length. But we have to be proactive.

Maybe that means changing our diet. Playing two rounds of golf instead of three. Driving early in the morning instead of at night --

Or perhaps it’s trying a different medicine. 

Whatever the case, just remember, there’s nothing wrong with thinking about dying. 

But why not search for a different course of action first?