Even if you ask freedom fighters on their deathbed, which is that action that they would like to be their last, liberation of a country may not be their answer. Take Jos Mart for example, Cuba’s hero of independence – he listed these three actions; planting a tree, writing a book and having a son.
While that can be an excellent start, let us take a look at the few other things that one must do before they die:
Make a Pilgrimage
Our definition of a pilgrimage does not mean exclusively those to the Vatican, Jerusalem or Mecca. While traditional pilgrimages can be a lifetime experience, the pilgrimage you should make depends on what you grew up worshipping. If you grew up admiring sites of prehistoric rituals you should make a trip to Machu Picchu or Stonehenge.
If you are one of those nature worshippers you could plan a trip to the Amazonian rain forest or the African savannah. If you’re a Manchester United fan you could visit the Manchester City. The purpose of making such a trip is to feel connected to those things that have a brought a smile on your face each time you did not feel like. It is becoming one with those little desires that you’ve held close to your heart all your life.
Eat a Great Meal
If you wish to have one last grand meal before you were to pass away it doesn’t make you any less noble! It was popularly believed that the British Prime Minister William Pitt’s last words were “My country, oh, how I leave my country!” It was perfectly aligned with his image and nobody had reason to doubt its authenticity. But it was later revealed that his last words were not even distinctly related to the country. In fact his last words were about his favourite meat pie and they were “I think I could eat one of Bellamy’s veal pies.”
May be it will be good for once to not care about those numbers on the right side of the menu. It may also be a good idea to try that fish or mammal which you always wanted to try but never got around to tasting it.
Climb that Mountain
Climbing a mountain doesn’t just mean scaling the height of Mt. Everest, even though climbing that would be an epic thing to do before you die. The mountain here symbolises anything you were too afraid to do all your life. Things that we are most scared of often tend to pile up in our head and take the shape of a mountain.
If you have always wanted to learn how to dance but were too introverted to put yourself out in front of so many people and risk embarrassment, now could be the time to try it. Maybe you always wanted to dive from an airplane and experience a sky fall before the parachute opens.
Doing something which has always scared you can be quite liberating. It is said that true growth only begins when we step outside our comfort zone and it couldn’t be truer. Remaining within the boundaries of your comfort zone will only make you feel restricted. And the whole point of doing certain things before you die is to move beyond your fears.
Memorise a Poem or Sing a Song
Isn’t it relaxing to have a verse in your head? To be able to remember a selection of words which can come to your rescue when the times are tough? Or hum that favourite tune all day long because the melody felt like magic? Sing even if you cannot match the notes or dance even if you cannot catch the beats. The point of this exercise is not to sing a song correctly or to dance exactly like Michael Jackson, it is to face your fears and have no regrets later.
Maybe you could memorise the prologue to Canterbury Tales and recite it in front of some young souls to plant in them a love for words. Maybe you could memorise lines from one of William Shakespeare’s plays and do a dramatic re-enactment.
Make an Enemy for Life
A person who never gives pain to another human being without a good reason can be called a true gentleman. But ‘without a good reason’ can be a perfect loophole for you to stand up to a bully, to fight off a rival for your gain or to raise your voice against a fraud.
Sure, there are many benefits of leading the life of a gentleman but not being gentle always does have its own benefits. For once having an enemy helps you to define yourself. It reveals to us the extent to which we are willing to go to prove ourselves. You may have held yourself back on many counts when that may not have been what you really wanted to do.
If there’s a thing that you care a lot for you should drive the others crazy for not being passionate enough about it. Stand up for what you think is right; it could make the world of difference to what you think about yourself.
Forgive Someone
This point may be in perfect contradiction to the one made above, but forgiving someone is a completely different experience and therefore deserves to be on the list. Forgiving a person for their misdeeds can help your heart get rid of a lot of negative energy which it may have been harbouring for a long time. It must be important or why else would the Bible emphasise so much upon it.
Don’t Just Believe that the Earth is Round, See it for yourself
You may have read about it in books and you may have seen images but have you confirmed it yourself that the Earth is round? We’re not asking you to step into a boat and circle around the globe (even though that would make for an amazing story). You could travel north to the Arctic Circle and see what the Earth looks like near the poles. You will be surprised to see how the sun rises and sets over that corner of the planet.
While doing the above things can be quite liberating, it may also be wise on your part to do things to protect the future of your loved ones like Writing a Will, with the help of a solicitor or one which is based on a simple Will template, taking out a policy which pays them handsomely after you’re gone.