Dr. BJ Miller Part 1: Why Preparing for Death Helps You Live a Fuller Life

Into the Magic Shop

How do you think about death? Dr. BJ Miller is a palliative care physician who invites us to think about and discuss the end of our lives with the lens of a mindful human-centered model of care, one that embraces dying not as a medical event, but rather as a universally shared life experience.

“By roping death into your worldview, into your frame of reality, not the opposite of your reality, not the antithesis of your life, but part of it. When you accommodate it, it becomes less frightening. And you tend to live much more richly and potently.”

In this episode of Into The Magic Shop, BJ shares his backstory and why it has so strongly informed his present story. He explains why some people can die before they actually die, the power and importance of joy and compassion, the issue with the West’s focus on illness rather than wellness, and why preparing for death helps you live a fuller life.

“It's a beautiful thing to behold and it doesn't necessarily have to look like peace, but the trick is those who have done their homework, I guess the bottom line is they don't hate themselves for dying.”

To find out more, download and listen today.

On today’s podcast:

• The myth of independence
• The importance of joy and compassion
• Why the fear of death can stop you from living

Links:

• TED talk - What Really Matters at the End of Life
• Book - A Beginner's Guide to the End