Post by johnbc on Jul 23, 2020 6:10:42 GMT
An exercise that can help us understand who we are, and what our purpose in this world is, helping us to start our philosophical reflections from our own vital experiences.
This exercise is known as “necrologue” and consists, in short, of writing a short text, in the form of a letter. This letter must contain no more than one page and must be written in the voice of a third party — in his voice, only, that is, pretending that you are that other person, but written by yourself. We must choose to write as if we were a friend or some other intimate person, capable of grasping the whole of your life and narrating your most relevant achievements. The obituary must seek to expose your highest aspirations, not theoretical, but practical. So, it doesn’t matter to say that in life you were kind and loved people, but describe the most tangible expressions of that kindness and love; what you actually did with your life.
The intent is for this letter to tell you your “ideal life”, and the legacy you will leave after dying, succinctly. Nobody but yourself needs to read. This is not an exercise aimed at publishing. The idea is that this is a form of self-evaluation, of reflection, and that it serves to reveal the center and the top organizer of your life and also to show who you really aspire to be. Using the obituary as a starting point, we can build a life plan, assessing our daily actions and thinking if these attitudes are compatible with the goals we aim to achieve. That is the proposal. But, here comes the mishaps.
The obituary seems very straightforward, simple, but only those who have tried to write know how challenging it is. The difficulties begin with the simple act of choosing who will be the friend who is supposed to be writing the letter. And then comes the real challenge: what do I want to do with my life?
Over the years, the obituary must be revisited and changed, since our experiences will make us mature and our projects will change.
I finally created a life plan, which provided me with a parameter for judging my own actions. More than that. This process was done with much prayer and reflection, talking with two or three close friends to advise me — be careful with that choice — and I came to understand better not only who I am for myself, but who I want to be to realize the potential that was given to me by God, because, in the end, it is only He who matters.
I can’t describe the impact of it all on me. Knowing who you are, and who you want to be, changes everything. It generates security, but also an understanding of what needs to be done. It creates responsibilities, and makes it clearer how much I hurt myself when I am lazy, procrastinate, or run away from what is my essence.
This exercise is known as “necrologue” and consists, in short, of writing a short text, in the form of a letter. This letter must contain no more than one page and must be written in the voice of a third party — in his voice, only, that is, pretending that you are that other person, but written by yourself. We must choose to write as if we were a friend or some other intimate person, capable of grasping the whole of your life and narrating your most relevant achievements. The obituary must seek to expose your highest aspirations, not theoretical, but practical. So, it doesn’t matter to say that in life you were kind and loved people, but describe the most tangible expressions of that kindness and love; what you actually did with your life.
The intent is for this letter to tell you your “ideal life”, and the legacy you will leave after dying, succinctly. Nobody but yourself needs to read. This is not an exercise aimed at publishing. The idea is that this is a form of self-evaluation, of reflection, and that it serves to reveal the center and the top organizer of your life and also to show who you really aspire to be. Using the obituary as a starting point, we can build a life plan, assessing our daily actions and thinking if these attitudes are compatible with the goals we aim to achieve. That is the proposal. But, here comes the mishaps.
The obituary seems very straightforward, simple, but only those who have tried to write know how challenging it is. The difficulties begin with the simple act of choosing who will be the friend who is supposed to be writing the letter. And then comes the real challenge: what do I want to do with my life?
Over the years, the obituary must be revisited and changed, since our experiences will make us mature and our projects will change.
I finally created a life plan, which provided me with a parameter for judging my own actions. More than that. This process was done with much prayer and reflection, talking with two or three close friends to advise me — be careful with that choice — and I came to understand better not only who I am for myself, but who I want to be to realize the potential that was given to me by God, because, in the end, it is only He who matters.
I can’t describe the impact of it all on me. Knowing who you are, and who you want to be, changes everything. It generates security, but also an understanding of what needs to be done. It creates responsibilities, and makes it clearer how much I hurt myself when I am lazy, procrastinate, or run away from what is my essence.
