These past few months, by virtue of being an adult. (And being identified as an adult), I attended funerals with my whole soul, mind and body. What does that even mean ? Well, I now relate to the eventuality of my own mortality and eulogies are a reminder of how I need to live my life. But when people speak of the dearly departed, I connect to the messages more. Which got me thinking, if a person’s life can be condensed to a few interactions and testimonies, we probably should live like we’re writing the best stories of our lives.

You should write your eulogy now. Pretty weird thing to write, isn’t ? But hear me out: it’s not as depressing as you are imagining it. I believe it’s a strong way to introspect and foster personal growth. So here’s why I believe you should write one

Increased Self-Awareness

Writing your own eulogy forces you to reflect on your life, accomplishments, and how you want to be remembered. This can help you gain a deeper understanding of your values, beliefs, and priorities, which can lead to greater self-awareness and a sense of purpose.

Clarity of Goals

When you write your own eulogy, you may realize that there are certain things you want to accomplish before you die. This can help you set clearer goals and priorities for yourself, which can increase motivation and focus. At least that’s what I hope you’ll achieve because I’m realizing with age, goal setting feels like a tall task. Between survival and battling the anxiety that comes with the uncertainty of life, goals get blurry or get lost in fantasies.

Reduced Anxiety

Many people experience anxiety about death and the legacy they will leave behind. Writing your own eulogy can help alleviate some of this anxiety by giving you a sense of control over how you will be remembered and what you want to be remembered for. (I think).

Increased Gratitude

Writing your own eulogy can help you appreciate the people and experiences in your life more fully. When you reflect on your life and the impact you want to have, you may realize how grateful you are for the people who have helped you along the way. We are not islands, writing this will help you trace close to every individual who has helped you in life. With how eulogies start from birth to death, tracing all those people will be a humbling experience.

Greater Resilience:

Writing your own eulogy requires you to think about how you want to be remembered even after you are gone. This can help you develop a greater sense of resilience, as you focus on leaving behind a positive legacy and making a lasting impact on the world.

Overall, writing your own eulogy can be a powerful tool for personal growth and reflection. It can help you gain clarity on your goals and priorities, reduce anxiety about death, increase gratitude for the people and experiences in your life, and develop greater resilience. And for once, you’ll put yourself first and tap a part of you that’s hidden beneath your fears of mortality.