Psychological immortality: How to live forever and leave an emotional legacy
Listen to our "Psychological Immortality" podcast (aired on 10/10/18):
Would you like to live forever? Or, at least until you are very old, if you are youthful and healthy? Most people, if given a chance, would probably say “Yes,” to living older if they could do it gracefully and vitally. As for being immortal, some would desire it, but not everyone wants the burden and possible boredom of living too long on earth.
Advances in medical science such as organ duplication, genetic engineering, and even the possibility of mind implants (into robotic entities) are raising the likelihood of longer lives, and perhaps even a type of immortal existence through robotic means.
Yet, regardless of your belief in an afterlife, or confidence in the advances in life longevity research, there is a way to be psychologically immortal—to leave an emotional legacy in the minds and hearts of those you have touched on this earth.
Here are ways you can create an Emotional Legacy that will last once you pass from this Earth:
*Express Your Passion: What do you really care about? Who do you really care about? Focus on those elements of life—people, goals, activities, and experiences—that you have a passion for. Maybe you’ve always wanted to raise children, travel the world, write a book, start a non-profit, learn a fun hobby, go to school, or run your own business. Whatever it is that you have a passion for, whatever you have always wanted to do but were afraid to try, do it now while you are still alive. Live your life with passion and caring, as you look out for the needs of the world and demonstrate your empathy and compassion for others. Use your God-given natural abilities and talents to make a positive impact on the world.
*Give The Younger Generation Everything You Have: If you have children of your own (or children you are close to), strive to give them a sense of purpose, meaning, and positive direction in life. Even if you don’t have children, be a role model to the newer generations—teach them how to grow, heal, and love. By helping the younger people in society, you are establishing a legacy of wisdom, love, and goodness that will last after you are gone. The young individuals you mentor will, in turn, help and mentor a new generation—thereby passing along your ideas, principles, and loving energy to even more people.
*Write a Love Legacy Letter: Write a letter to your loved ones (friends and family) that summarizes your life. It can be read after your death, but even better, read it to them while you are still alive. In the letter, write the things you appreciate in each person, the things you forgive them for, and the things you ask forgiveness for. At the end, express your gratitude for all of the good things you have received in life, and what you hope and wish for each of them, as they take a part of you with them—in their hearts and minds.
Elevate Your Mental State With Love: One of the best ways to leave an emotional legacy is to practice positive emotional states on a daily basis: gratitude, appreciation, kindness, compassion, and giving love without expectation. The more you develop these traits, the happier and more successful you will be on Earth, and the easier it will be for you to transition from life to another plane of existence when the time comes. With faith and hope firmly embedded in your mind, you are confident that everything will be alright once you leave the earth; there will be a higher nature to take care of you.
There you have it: The keys to leaving an Emotional Legacy. Although you may not live forever in a physical body, you may be able to live forever in the hearts and minds of those people you touched while on the earth, and through your ideas and insights that have left a heart print on the world.
Rejoice, you are alive. Make sure you enjoy your life and squeeze every ounce of joy you can out of it.