"Men fear death as children fear to go in dark." - Bacon

There may be a thousand reasons why we fear death, but most of all we fear death because we fear unknown, and death is an unknown entity to most people. We fear that dying may be painful and we do not know what will happen to us at point of death.

Some people fear death because they imagine dying process to be very painful. Death is not painful. In fact, death is often very peaceful and silent even for those suffering from cancers or other terminal illness.

When physical body is deteriorating day by day from a terminal illness, and pain arises from superficial wound such as bed sores, or deep pain such as bone or nerve pain, death may even be a welcome relief for sufferer.

We need to distinguish pain of physical body from process of dying. The dying process is a distinct process that is separate from deterioration of physical body. At point of death, there is no pain.

What happens at death is cessation of breath and all other physiological functions of physical body. The heart stops pumping and blood circulation stops moving. The body stops generating heat, and thus progressively turns cold.

For those who believe that we are more than just a physical body, and that we are in fact spiritual beings, dying process means much more than just physical death.

Death is just a natural process that allows us to discard physical body as we move into spiritual realm.

Since our fear of death is due to fact that we do not know or understand death, it makes sense to familiarise ourselves with it. The more we understand death, less we fear it. We should therefore cultivate a friendship with death, and be totally familiar with it, just as we are familiar with our friends.

We can cultivate a friendship with death in three simple steps: 1. Establish a link with God. 2. Cultivate a habit of acceptance, instead of blame. 3. Be a blessing to others.

Establish a link with God.

By establishing a link with God, we touch base with our own spirituality. God can be whatever you perceive God to be. For Christians, Muslims and Hindus, that may mean an omnipotent God. For Buddhists, it may mean Buddha seed within. Atheists may have to come to term with their own spirituality.

1.Live by Law of More Effort. As you accomplish an important task, you will feel a surge of energy and enthusiasm. Completing task will trigger release of endorphins in your brain, causing you to experience a natural high. You will actually become addicted to this feeling as you continue to complete challenging and important tasks. So, as you put forth more effort, you will want to continue to put forth more effort.

2.How’s your energy? There are many things you can do to increase your energy stores, including getting 8 hours of rest each night. I know you are saying, “I’m lucky if I get 6!” With better planning & organizing, you can not only get 8 hours of sleep, but you will also have time for #3.

3.Exercise & eat right! Yes, that’s right. If you take time to exercise, you will actually have more energy and will procrastinate less. Also, avoid those simple sugars that “give you a boost”. It may give you an immediate rush, but you will “dump” just shortly there after. Eat complex carbohydrates which provide a slower, steadier release of energy throughout day.