'Fraid Not

Fear Of Death

Rutledge says this worry is the ultimate fear of uncertainty. "It brings up not only the question of 'Will I still exist?' but also, 'Who will I be if I do still exist?'" he says. "Then there's the ironic fear of nonexistence."

Just like losing our loved ones, our own endings are inevitable. It's important, according to Rutledge, to face this fear with thoughtful introspection. "The discussions we can have if we allow ourselves to acknowledge the enormity of the fear of death are amazing," he says. "I frequently encourage clients and workshop participants to stop from time to time and measure how they are doing from the perspective of their 'death-point.' In other words, if you were at the end of your life, looking back at this day, how would you feel about it? I call it living according to the Regret-Reduction Program."

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