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Discover how to embrace your spiritual purpose and live intentionally. Finding confidence, faith, and deeper meaning without waiting for a wake-up call.
When Near-Death Sparks Spiritual Awakening
Despite how “common” they seem to be, I have never had a “near-death” experience.
I don’t want one either. I just want to be clear about that before I go any further.
I’ve had “near-near-death” experiences. You know… like “oh man… my gum was like this far from going down the wrong pipe” or “It’s Black Friday so I’m going to Target” or “…And how many months along are you?”
But I’ve never had the real thing. I’ve never had my heart stop. I’ve never thought I was dead, or almost-dead (or “mostly dead”, and I’m not “blaving”). I’ve never been super convinced that I may have just stumbled into Heaven and—Oh!—there’s my grandmother! What are you doing here? Am I dead? Wait… are you waving “hello” or “goodbye”? What’s going on? This place is so beautiful! Why are you pushing me away? Why are you sending me back? Oh… it’s not my time yet? You brought me all the way here just to tell me that?!
Then you get thrown back into your body which, given the circumstances, is not the most comfortable thing in the universe. Chances are if you just saw your grandmother in Heaven for a moment or two, your body is probably not in the best of shape. Which makes sense. After all, your soul just tried to abort!
You just experienced something absolutely astounding and beautiful and peaceful and wonderful… and now you’re shoved back into this slab of meat that hurts like nothing has ever hurt before.
Quite the extreme change. Like throwing a frozen turkey into a deep frier.
Naturally, people who experience these near-death events often come out saying that they were “life-changing”. Which (especially when considering all of the above) is just another way of saying they are “traumatic”.
Hard pass.
Not that long ago, a good friend of mine told me about her own near-death experience over a business lunch. I won’t get deep into the details—they’re personal to her and she shared them with me in confidence—but suffice it to say she got into an accident, nearly died (and in fact was considered dead at one point), spent a few minutes hanging out in Heaven (which was wonderful and beautiful, of course), and then came back down to Earth with a bang and a clatter… and a scream or two.
Sure enough, she described it as “life-changing”. Suddenly there was a whole new reality to… well… reality. She could see and feel things that no one else could see and feel. She could sense her surroundings and was aware of so much more. She could connect with other people on a deeper level, practically peer right into their souls.
She now knew her place, her mission and her purpose.
Why? Because she’d been to Heaven. Because she knew it was there. It wasn’t just faith for her anymore. For a few brief moments, it was tangible. She could touch it and feel it.
For all intents and purposes, it wasn’t just in her imagination anymore.
Her story—and what came of it as a result—was so vivid and incredible that I couldn’t stop myself from saying, “I want a near-death experience, too!”
Well… that’s odd… didn’t I just say “hard pass” on that idea?!
How Everyday Moments Can Shift Your Purpose
A few years ago, around Christmas time, I happened to catch myself in the mirror one morning and I thought… Gosh… I look fat, ugly, out of shape, way older than I actually am… I need to do something about this!
So I changed my diet, cut down on sugary things (I rarely have sweets, candy, regular soda or anything super high on carbs), tried to exercise more, and cut out some of the things in my life that were causing me stress. As a result, today I feel better, look healthier and younger, and am generally more comfortable about my own appearance. Particularly when I go out in public.
It was hard to accomplish, and—for some reason—it’s been even harder to maintain, but it was the right thing to do. And I did it because what I saw in the mirror was a kind of “warning sign”—a look at something I didn’t want to become—that shocked me into making better decisions about my health.
In that sense, just looking in the mirror was a life-changing experience, not altogether different from the way my friend’s near-death changed the way she viewed the world and her own place—and purpose—in it.
I’ve always wanted to see the world the way she does. See the reality beyond the reality. Not just believe or have faith that Heaven and God exist, but know it, the way that this experience allowed her to really know it.
I’ve always wanted to be able to touch people the way she touches people. To help, to guide, and to really see them. To walk through the world confidently—with no fear—with the knowledge that something really, truly, exists beyond it.
But I struggle with that because I don’t actually know it like she does. I don’t know it like she does because I haven’t had that near-death experience that she’s had.
It’s not unlike being aware—deep down—that I need to make a change in my diet and my health, but not doing anything about it until I’m truly faced with that reality. Like I was when I looked in the mirror.
If I already sensed that I needed to make that health change, why didn’t I just do it? Why did I need that morning reflection to shock me into doing it?
Likewise, if I already know what I want to do—what I would want a near-death experience to trigger—then why in the world would I need a near-death experience to make that happen?
Why We Wait for Wake-Up Calls to Live Intentionally
It’s strange isn’t it; this idea that in order to challenge your habits and make these monumental changes in your life, you almost need to be thrust into them? You have to have these traumatic experiences or hair-raising moments in order to take that hard pivot into doing something better. Into doing those things you probably should have always been doing.
Why is that?
And if I know not only what conclusions I would be making and where those conclusions would lead me, but also that having this near-death experience might actually push me to those conclusions enough to act on them —
— Why not act like they’ve happened anyway?
Think about that for a moment. If I already know that having a near-death experience might cause me to see the world a certain way and to take certain actions because of that, why am I waiting around for a near-death experience to make that happen? Why don’t I just act like it already has?
It’s not like I need convincing. I didn’t with the change in diet and exercise, either. I already knew what I should have been doing. I just wasn’t doing it.
Why do we need that wake up call, whatever form that takes?
I’m pretty convinced that Heaven and God exist. I don’t necessarily need to touch them to know that.
I know that I’m capable of walking the world confidently—with no fear—with the knowledge that something really, truly, exists beyond it.
I know that I have a passion and ability to really, deeply touch people; to help, guide, and really see them. Lift them up, even.
In essence, I know what my place, my mission and my purpose are. I’ve always known.
So… maybe I don’t need a near-death experience.
Maybe what I need is something more akin to a “near-life” experience.
Embracing a Near-Life Experience: Living with Spiritual Purpose
If there’s such a thing as a “near-death” experience, I think there must also be a “near-life” experience. But what is it? What is it like?
Well, if having a near-death experience means something happened where you nearly, almost, or did (kind of) die, then it would stand to reason that a near-life experience means you had a moment where you nearly, almost, or did (kind of) live. No, that doesn’t mean we’re dead otherwise… it just means we aren’t really living. By that, I mean living without fear, while at the same time walking the world with confidence and purpose.
Living with intent.
If that’s not how we’re living, then I don’t think we’re really living. At least, not within the spirit of what God envisioned for us.
But we don’t need to almost die in order for that to happen.
Maybe we just need to get a sense of what that living is like. Maybe we just need to take those little baby steps that get us a little closer to living that life. To catch a glimpse of it.
A “near-life” experience.
If we’re supposed to live with purpose and intent, then the way to get there must also be intentional.
I have a few thoughts on how we might do that:
- Cultivate Mindfulness: Begin by embracing mindfulness practices. Daily meditation, journaling, or reflective exercises help develop self-awareness and foster a deeper connection with your spiritual self.
- Gratitude and Reflection: Regularly express gratitude and reflect on blessings in your life. Appreciating the present moment enhances spiritual awareness and encourages positive change.
- Serve Others: Engaging in acts of kindness and service cultivates a sense of purpose and connection. Volunteer work or simple acts of generosity towards others can foster a deeper understanding of your spiritual purpose. I have plenty of suggestions on how you might inspire Joy at my sister site, Operation Joy™.
- Seek Knowledge and Growth: Continuously seek opportunities for learning and growth. Reading spiritual texts, attending seminars, or seeking guidance from spiritual mentors can broaden perspectives and aid in spiritual development. (You may even consider sticking around here and reading more God Jots!)
- Embrace Authenticity: Embrace your true self. Authenticity breeds contentment and aligns you with your spiritual purpose, enabling you to live in harmony with your beliefs and values.
- Practice Self-Compassion: Be gentle (and fair) with yourself. Embracing self-compassion allows for inner healing and resilience in the face of challenges, fostering spiritual growth.
- Set Intentions and Goals: Set clear intentions aligned with your spiritual purpose. Establishing goals empowers you to take actionable steps toward realizing your aspirations.
Not everyone has a near-death experience, but you don’t have to wait for things to happen to you in order to make big, lasting changes, and to connect with God and your purpose on a spiritual level.
You have the power to make these things happen. You always have.
So start taking those steps today. Be that change. Be that little Light.
Share
Have you ever had a near-death experience? What happened that caused it? What was the experience like? How did it change you? Were these changes something you always had in the back of your mind but didn’t take the initiative? If you hadn’t had this experience, do you think you ever would have changed? Would any of the suggestions listed above have had any effect? Is there anything you would add to that list? Share your thoughts and experiences below!