REPEAT: Memento Mori – Embrace Life by Contemplating Death

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* This is a REPEAT of the event held on Oct 27.
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It seems like quite a few members were interested in the original event but couldn't attend, so let's give it another go!

NOTE: We'll be using the same discussion topics as last time. If you joined us for the first session, you're welcome to attend again, but please be aware that priority will be given to those who missed it.
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DESCRIPTION

Memento Mori, meaning "remember you must die" in Latin, is a powerful reminder of life's impermanence. Rather than evoking fear, it encourages us to reflect on what truly matters. By contemplating death, we can gain clarity, strip away distractions, and focus on our core values and priorities. This reflection invites us to live more intentionally, cherish the present, nurture our relationships, and pursue what is most meaningful.

In this Meetup, we'll explore various perspectives on death and how embracing our mortality can enrich our lives. Topics for discussion include:

• The Top Deathbed Regrets: What people commonly regret at the end of their lives, and how we can learn from these reflections to live with fewer regrets.
• Cultural and Historical Views on Death: How different cultures and eras have approached death, and what we can learn from their rituals and beliefs.
• Our Society’s Avoidance of Death: Insights from Ernest Becker’s The Denial of Death, which examines how modern culture tends to hide death, and the impact this has on our psyche and life choices.
• Facing Death to Reduce Anxiety: How directly confronting the idea of death can help reduce fear and foster acceptance.
• Starting a Personal Practice of Death Contemplation: Practical ways to begin incorporating death contemplation into your life to live with more purpose and awareness.

Join us for this thought-provoking discussion as we reflect on death—not to dwell on it, but to use it as a tool for living a richer, more meaningful life.

Discussion Topics

Here are some of the discussion questions and prompts for the meeting. Feel free to bring your own, as well!

• What happens after you die? How does this belief impact your understanding of life's meaning?
• How often do you contemplate death? Can contemplating death lead to a more meaningful life?
• If you knew you had only one year to live, what would you change about how you live now?
• Do you think it's important to talk openly about death with family and friends, or is it something better left unspoken?
• What are some cultural, religious, and philosophical perspectives on death? How do these perspectives provide comfort or guidance in facing the inevitability of death?
• How and to what extent does our society hide the reality of death?
• How do you want to be remembered after you die?

And some quotes to reflect upon:

• "Just as a child cries out when taken by its mother from her right breast but is immediately consoled when she puts it to her left breast, so death is nothing but a change in the arms of God." – Rabindranath Tagore
• "Look upon me and ponder, all that you are now, I once was, all that I am now, you will become." – Epitaph from Medieval Europe
• "Death is the sound of distant thunder at a picnic." – W. H. Auden
• "Death smiles at us all; all a man can do is smile back." – Marcus Aurelius

*** This is a REPEAT of the event held on Oct 27. ***