Life lessons : two experts on death and dying teach us about the mysteries of life and living

A Message From Elisabeth We all have lessons to learn during this time called life; this is especially apparent when working with the dying. The dying learn a great deal at the end of life, usually when it is too late to apply. After moving to the Arizona desert in 1995, I had a stroke on Mother's Day that left me paralyzed. I spent the next few years at death's door. Sometimes I thought death would come within a few weeks. Many times, I was disappointed that it did not come, for I was ready. But I have not died because I am still learning the lessons of life, my final lessons. These lessons are the ultimate truths about our lives; they are the secrets to life itself. I wanted to write one more book, not on death and dying but on life and living. Is this really how I want to live my life? Each one of us at some point asks this question. The tragedy is not that life is short but that we often see only in hindsight what really matters. In Life Lessons, her first book on life and living, Elisabeth K?bler-Ross joins with David Kessler to guide readers through the practical and spiritual lessons we need to learn so that we can live life to its fullest in every moment. Many years of working with the dying have shown the authors that certain lessons come up over and over again. Some of these lessons can be difficult to master, but even the attempts to understand them are deeply rewarding. Here, in fourteen accessible chapters, from the Lesson of Love to the Lesson of Happiness, the authors reveal the truth about our fears, our hopes, our relationships, and, above all, the grandness of who we really are. Front Cover......Page 1 Acknowledgments......Page 10 Contents......Page 12 A Message from Elisabeth......Page 14 A Message from David......Page 18 A Note to the Reader......Page 22 1. The Lesson of Authenticity......Page 26 2. The Lesson of Love......Page 54 3. The Lesson of Relationships......Page 84 4. The Lesson of Loss......Page 108 5. The Lesson of Power......Page 138 6. The Lesson of Guilt......Page 154 7. The Lesson of Time......Page 172 8. The Lesson of Fear......Page 190 9. The Lesson of Anger......Page 214 10. The Lesson of Play......Page 232 11. The Lesson of Patience......Page 252 12. The Lesson of Surrender......Page 268 13. The Lesson of Forgiveness......Page 290 14. The Lesson of Happiness......Page 304 Final Lesson......Page 324 Back Cover......Page 334 Stephanie, a woman in her early forties, shared this story at a lecture: "One Friday afternoon several years ago, I was on my way from Los Angeles to Palm Springs. Uses lessons learned from the dying to help the living find the most enjoyment and happiness