As we embark on a new year it can be a nice time to slow down, take stock and perhaps through our reading, watching something or conversations, we may find new ideas we want to ponder. Maybe we get a thought-provoking comment from another person or book that inspires us for the months ahead.

In rereading The Wheel of Life by Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, there were some stand out wisdoms she shared at the end of this, her final book. Dr. Elisabeth spent the majority of her life and practice being with and learning about death and dying while finding the beauty and love in it all.

In 1997 she wrote that the planet is in trouble, and mankind has wreaked havoc on mother earth.

Page 284 : ” I believe Earth will soon correct these misdeeds. Because of what mankind has done, there will be tremendous earthquakes, floods, volcanic eruptions and other natural disasters on a scale never before witnessed…and enormous casualties suffered….How else can people be awakened? What other way is there to teach respect for nature and the necessity of spirituality?”

Based on her lifetime of professional and life experience she believed she learned what matters most to those passing on. Some of her thoughts include:

You cannot heal the world without healing yourself first.

The hardest lesson to learn is unconditional love.

Everything is bearable when there is love.

My wish is that you try to give more people more love.

The only thing that lives forever is love.

It seemed Dr. Kubler-Ross wanted to underscore this message for us all as her parting gift:

The sole purpose of life is to grow. The ultimate lesson is learning how to love and be loved unconditionally.