Cheating Death: A fictional short-short story

5 Minutes on Life and Death

My PsychologyToday.com article today offers brief thoughts on living and dying well.

On Autumn and Fall, Life's Last Smile

A few days ago, we entered autumn or fall. The word, "autumn" implies hope, the endless cycle of renewal in which autumn is a necessary prerequisite to spring. In contrast,  the word "fall" implies unidirectionality...downward.

"Fall," alas, more accurately describes the final quarter of our life, the metaphor often invoked for our descent into decrepitude and extinction. William Cullen Bryant called fall, "the year's last, loveliest smile." Is it not life's last smile?

How can we cope with thoughts of death and, worse, with the dying process, which lyricist Johnny Mercer, in the song, Autumn Leaves, called, "hearing winter's song?"

I address that in my PsychologyToday.com article today.

Toward Living and Dying Well

In my PsychologyToday.com article today, I offer an exercise to help you decide if you want to do anything differently in your life. I also offer suggestions on how to deal with fear of death and dying.

My Thoughts on Turning 65

In one hour, I'll turn 65. My PsychologyToday.com article today shares my thoughts on the subject.

The Queen of Denial: Might suppressing and even denying your problems be helpful?

Much psychotherapy is based on the whack-a-mole principle: Unless you explore the causes of rather than just tamp-down the problem, it will pop up elsewhere. Indeed, such psychotherapy has helped many people improve their lives or at least gain insight.

But an argument could be made in favor of tamping. I make that argument in my PsychologyToday.com article today. HERE is the link.

Tips for Worriers: Ways to reduce anxiety about death, dying, public speaking, social anxiety and free-floating anxiety

My PsychologyToday.com article today is Tips for Worriers. 

It's not aimed at people with severe anxiety. It just offers tips for the garden-variety handwringer who worries about death, dying, public speaking, social anxiety or free-floating anxiety

Musings on Mortality

Although I'm healthy, as a 62-year-old male, I'm thinking more about mortality. Here are my current musings:

Awareness of mortality reminds me to make each hour as productive as possible. I really wonder why so many older people fritter away their time on things like golf and TV. Why don't they spend more time, for example, mentoring, blogging, and/or tutoring.

I reduce my fear of death by remembering that it's just a long sleep. And if the dying is too painful, I'll off myself using the Final Exit method.

When I do start to worry about death, I immediately distract myself. The more I think about it, the harder that is--the worry gets more hard-wired in my brain.

There is no afterlife--I'm convinced that's a fable people have created to blunt their fear of death.

I've signed up with Alcor Cryonics to be frozen upon my death in hopes that medical science will advance enough, say in 100 years, to bring me back to life, healthy. Of course, that's a true long shot but it's a balm, another way to reduce my fear of death. And I sure would love to see what life on earth will be like 100 years after my death.

Perhaps all this nice calm talk is rationalization and if I got a terminal diagnosis, I'd be scared shitless.