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My Life from a Distance -- Writer's Poke #247

People that go through Near Death Experiences (NDEs) describe how their spirits leave their bodies. They might watch from above, for example, as doctors work frantically to save their lives. But whether real or imagined, survivors of NDEs often find that the purposes of their lives have totally changed. For some, the NDE itself gives life a purpose that it had heretofore lacked.

Most of us will never have a NDE, and there's no reason to wait for one, or heaven forbid, seek one out. Although it might not be nearly as sexy among the paranormal clique, why not have your own Near Life Experience (NLE)? That is, go off to the woods like Henry David Thoreau for a few years. Or, hell, if you insist on being more practical, just go to the local Holiday Inn for a weekend. Bottom line, set time aside to be by yourself, and focus solely on where you are, where you've been, and where you want to be.

How many people do that? Why should it take the scare of death to wake you up to how you are living? It shouldn't, but many of us run in our little hamster wheels, chalking up the miles, but going nowhere.

Pretend that you're your best friend. How would your best friend view the life you're living? Now, pretend that you're a total stranger. How would the perception of your life change when viewed from a stranger's point of view?

"To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all." -- Oscar Wilde

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