“Today is a good day to die.” You have heard the phrase in numerous contexts, usually attributed to Native American culture. While the exact origin of the phrase is uncertain, I prefer to see it in the light of a quote I once read: “We Indians have an expression, 'Today is a good day to die'. It means that we should be ready to die on any given day. We should always be prepared to die, and have no regrets. That's why it's important to begin each day fresh, and not let past problems or present distractions cloud how God wants us to live.”¹ An inspiring expression of mindfulness, to be sure. But how does this apply if today really was the last day for you?

Many years ago, when I was an undergrad studying psychology and music theory and composition (they are more related than you may think), I was attending two universities, working full-time in a teaching medical center doing research, raising a family and commuting through LA traffic (that’s Los Angeles, not Louisiana). I developed a mindfulness practice - based on the concept of “the last day” - that helped me to maintain drive and focus on those 14-hour days.

Sharpen Your Focus

The exercise is one of elimination. On busy days, how can you restrict your concentration to just those matters that actually move you forward? It’s the “80/20 rule” on steroids - more like 90/10, actually, where you find that 10 percent of your focus and effort produces 90 percent of your desired results.

The actual practice is simple, but not easy.

First, start your day off with a written expression of gratitude for the positive things in your life. This step sets the neuropsychological stage for what is to come.

Then, imagine that today is to be the last day that you ever have any type of consciousness or awareness. (If you have religious or spiritual beliefs to the contrary, you can do this as a thought exercise.)

Do your best to put yourself in that situation with your full intent. After midnight tonight, you will experience no sight or hearing or sense of touch or smell or taste. Ever again. In fact, “you” will no longer exist. This day is the last day for you to have any sensory awareness of anything.

Notice how your priorities change; the shifts in your attention. With this mindset, the “small stuff” quickly recedes into the distance. You eliminate the chatter of daily life and are left with the 10 percent of experiences that create 90 percent of life’s meaning.

If this really was the last day that you would experience anything, would you pay more attention to

The sound of rain on your windshield
The twinkle in a loved one’s eyes
The colors and textures of the world around you?

Feed Your Muse

This is the part that can powerfully inform your work as a creator.

Make a list of what remains. Now that your consciousness is laser-focused on what matters most, capture those items in writing to inform your creative efforts. This state of mindfulness constitutes deep meditation for most people, and - like a dream - important parts can be lost unless you note them.

The list will be different for different people. It will even be different for you on different days and times, in accordance with your current psychological and emotional state.

As with any effective way to expand consciousness, trait and state meld with set and setting to produce insights that are true and life-altering.

I keep these insights in a journal, and each time I practice this last day mindfulness, I add to the entries. Then, when faced with the exhilaration and terror of a blank page (or empty staff, or nascent production), I have a list of thoughts and emotions that are deeply meaningful for me. Reading through them never fails to inspire a tsunami of ideas; words, music, images. You will always have something relevant to say because this is the heart of the human condition.

I love and am endlessly amazed at the paradox: Very little comes from the ground state of everything; the cornucopia erupts from the meaningfully-restricted palette.

Everything Zen

One major benefit of this “last day” practice is that you become a calm, unmovable island in a tempestuous sea of distractions that cry out for your attention.

The more you practice, the more facile you will become, as is the case with any art. As you continue this meditative exercise of focus, you will notice that your ability to ignore extraneous input will extend beyond the exercise itself. With time, you remain in the mindset of what really matters.

You will notice that you are less easily irritated, less distracted, more able to regain your momentum after interruptions.

This conservation of mental energy and clarity of focus results in more meaningful time spent with your loved ones, more awe and inspiration when in nature, more inspiration and less anxiety in your daily life. And profound authenticity when you create your art.

The Last Day

The odds are, of course, tremendously in favor of this not being the last day for you. But the enlightenment you gain from repeated indulgence in this “as-if” exercise will pay dividends in all areas of your life and in all of your creative endeavors. It is well worth the time and effort involved to discern - and then act upon - what really matters.

May you ever create from a place of unwavering focus and originality, and may your last day be far, far, in the future.

References:

Michael F. Steltenkamp, Black Elk: Holy Man of the Oglala (1997), p. 28.



I am a creator (musician, writer, live-streamer and podcaster), entrepreneur, educator and counselor.

 To learn more about how to use these concepts or to inquire about working with me, you can contact me through my website, the comments section on my Substack or Medium accounts or The Authentic Life Blog page. If you have found value in this article, consider following my Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) accounts. To support this community, you can even Buy Me A Coffee or donate through my Patreon account.

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- JWW