Happy Memorial Day in the U.S.! The wise human recognizes that death isn’t your own end-of-life ritual, but it’s something we can experience over and over again: the end of a marriage, the demise of a dream, the loss of a loved one, the crescendo of a career. We experience death continuously while we’re living, but we call it disappointment, the end of something, fate. If only we could realize that the loss of an expectation (especially a painful one) is the doorway to the death of your ego…and, ultimately, the death of your body, we would welcome bad news with a smile on our face. But, it ain’t easy!
On this day when we memorialize those who’ve exited their body, I want to say a deep-felt thank you to my friend, Chip Hankins. We were born the same year, were both empaths, and were both spiritual seekers. Two months before he chose to end his life, I told him that I was struggling with an identity – the successful entrepreneur and conscious capitalist – that I now see needed to die in 2008. But, it felt like a Band-Aid I couldn’t pull off. Chip helped me to see that there may be another identity germinating inside me and I needed to be patient. I only wish he’d lived long enough to see that he was a prescient prognosticator.
On this day when we appreciate those who are no longer with us, let’s ask ourselves, “What needs to die in me today in order for something to be reborn?” I hope you have lots of time to reflect upon that today. I’m at one of my favorite places in New Mexico, Ojo Caliente Hot Springs, letting nature have her way with me.
-Chip