Our Private Thoughts Part 7
August 24, 2025
Our Private Thoughts Part 7
Some of our most private thoughts are about our losses; those behind us, those unfolding now, and those we fear may come. Reflecting on them can stir a reverie of cherished memories, or it can awaken the quiet ache of grief. Often, both arrive together. For many of us, loss is a mingling of sorrow and sweetness, gratitude, and longing.
Among the most intimate of these thoughts is the awareness of our own eventual passing. We don’t know when it will come, nor do we know how. Yet, from time to time, the mind wanders there. Will we fade away gently? Will we succumb to illness, accident, or simply stop suddenly and silently? Most of the time, we brush these thoughts aside, and perhaps rightly so. Dwell on death too much, and it can dim the vibrancy of life. But ignore it completely, and we risk forgetting how precious each moment is.
Psychiatrist and spiritual thinker M. Scott Peck once said that he imagined death as a small being sitting on his shoulder, gently reminding him that his time in this realm was limited. He described it not as a burden, but a blessing. Each reminder deepened his desire to live fully—to savor, to risk, to love—right then and there.
In a similar spirit, Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking Cruises, says in a well-known commercial: “Time is the only scarce commodity.” He urges us to do what we can, learn what we can, and experience as much as we can while we still have time.
Without being morbid, it is sometimes wise to reflect on how the world would be without us.
Will we have left something meaningful behind?
Will our legacy carry the imprint of who we truly were?
Will we have made peace with how our life unfolded?
Will we have pursued our deepest hopes and longings?
Will we be satisfied with the love we gave—and received?
Will there be those who embody and continue the causes we championed, the truths we lived?
Will we have lived our purpose?
Spiritual practice: Reflect deeply on the questions above. Let them guide you inward, toward greater awareness of the meaning and direction of your life. Not as a judgment, but as an awakening.
Dear God, In my private thoughts, I turn to You. Quell my fears, inspire me to new heights, and fill me with awareness of your divine spirit within and around me. Amen.
