No Fear

So I was on a plane Tuesday from Memphis to Philadelphia when the stewardess came over the speakers saying that we would have to land in Knoxville because the computer on the plane was malfunctioning. My limited knowledge of planes kept me from being able to really assess the threat level of a computer malfunction, but I was concerned. Several minutes later, she said we had too much weight to land in Knoxville and would need to burn fuel in the air for about 20 minutes before we could land. So, we flew in what I assume were circles and then landed. Technicians came to the plane and began checking things.

I was relieved when we got on the ground and hoped that they would de-plane us and put us on another plane. The technicians "fixed" our plane so we fired it up and took off again for Philadelphia.

I was nervous when we took off...what if they hadn't fixed it? What if it malfunctioned again? What if something else went terribly wrong? What if I died?

What if I died? No, really...what if? What would people say? Who did I speak to last and what was it about? How would people remember me? What would be unfinished? I gave thought to these questions, and I realized that I've gotten much better about tying up my loose ends...saying I love you often, hugging often, laughing often, sharing my wisdom and inspiration often. As I thought about the possibility, I realized that I would be ok with that. Did I want to die? Of course not. But did I regret having not said or done things? NO. And that was such a great feeling...to know that if I left the earth now, I'd have no regrets because I live an amazing life filled with purpose, joy, and fun and that the people I love and cherish would know exactly what they meant to me because I told them so and did things to show it.



After hearing about so many plane crashes over the past couple of years, it's easy to let your mind wander. I decided not to let it stress me. I prayed silently and decided to sleep. I slept soundly for a while and as I woke up, the stewardess was telling us we'd be landing soon.

We landed without incident, and I breathed a sigh of relief. We made it safely, and I was happy...happy because we were on the ground safe and sound but even more happy because my life is being lived out loud...with full expression of my hopes, dreams, and truths.

I encourage you to explore the meaning of your life and whether you would be ok with how you left things if you died today. James Dean told us to dream as if we'd live forever and live as if we'd die today. Live your life with all the purpose, love, and joy you can muster! You never know when your time or that of someone you love will come. We don't have to fear death if we know where our souls will go and we live lives that reflect the legacy that we want for ourselves.

Live your bliss!