Life

A recent series of events (some bigger than others) has led me to a new conclusion - Death is really nothing. And I mean that in a variety of ways. Death is something that we can't control, nor is it something we look forward too, and since we can't look back on it, it ultimately doesn't matter. Death should mean nothing.

But it does. In so many ways it defines who we are, who we become, and how we live our lives. Because it is such an overwhelming thing, to humans, we either ignore it completely, or are completely consumed by it.

But why? Why should we let our death define our life? There's no point. Number one, it just creates negative energy that is useless. In general, most people can't control when or how they die. Obviously, trying to skateboard across the highway or cliff dive into a shallow pool is not a good decision, and will probably increase your chances of death. But most people are rational enough not to do something like that. So, for example, lets say you are walking down the street, and are afraid that someone is going to jump out and mug you. You don't have any control over that, and if it is going to happen, it's going to happen regardless of whether you are afraid or not. So why worry? (Just a disclaimer - I'm not saying don't be aware of your surroundings.)

Also, my new theory is that regardless of what you believe about the afterlife - whether you are athiest or christian or hindu or muslim, I think something happens. According to Newton's laws, energy can be neither created nor destroyed. And, I would argue that there is something that creates life that is more than just neurons firing in your brain. If that were so, people wouldn't have personalities, quirks, and the human race wouldn't be where we are today. So, there must be something else out there. Some energy, some human force that makes us who we are. Something, be it a spirit or a ghost or just some amorphous blob of existence, that cannot be destroyed. It can change forms, but won't ever cease to exist. And that is how I have recently come to the conclusion that there is either, 1) an afterlife (in the judeo-chrisitan sense of the word), or 2) reincarnation. Maybe not reincarnation in full, maybe personalities splice and different traits go to different people, but something else. Beyond that, I don't know. But theres something.

And that brings us comfort. So now, the question becomes, why do you believe what you do? And do you really believe it?