Today I want to share a story about life. Told through the lens of death.  My dear friend Niel passed away the other day. He was young. It was sudden and unexpected.   He’s survived by his incredible wife and 11 year old daughter.  He was my brother.   Best friend to my husband.   We raised kids together.  Built businesses together.  I figured we’d all be growing old together, wrinkled and laughing, remembering the times when we hustled in our businesses while raising our kids and trying to make every moment count. Always running and building, hugging and loving.   We would laugh at all the mistakes we made, shaking our old heads with just a tinge of regret for all the ways we stressed about money, family tiffs, or roadblocks. We would know that none of that really mattered. We would know that everything has a way of working out in our favor. We would know that none of that shit was worth holding.   We would share stories about our grandbabies in between rounds of Shiesty Monopoly and talk about new projects and dreams as we laughed. Noemi and I would roll our eyes while the boys razzed each other for hours, and we’d reminisce about all the memories we collected.  Funny how our minds automatically assume these futures with those we love. *** When death looks us in the eyes and reminds us that we will all eventually hold its hand, life becomes clear.  If death were to look you in the eyes today, what clarity would you have? How would the things in your life sort out?  *** Today, I’m choosing to take death’s stare and use the clarity it’s given me to move through my life with a little more fire. A little more intention. A little more courage to be fully me and proactively create my life with every breath.  More love. Less stress.  More hugs. Less ego.  More I love you’s. Less judgments.  And a fullness knowing that we are all connected. In life, and in death.   I love you,  Katie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices