interest level in serving the dying

Some people’s interest in topics related to death and dying is purely for their own understanding. This is powerful in and of itself, as we can powerfully change the world one person at a time within our own personal circles of friends and family.
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s each person fully comprehends the natural order and cycles of life and death in nature, in processes, in humans and in the animal world, then we may quit resisting “this last part (dying)” so much.

So, to be curious or fascinated for only your own personal reasons is enough to change the world. You may add understanding wherever you go.

Those of you who are called to more, say you are the one people call when someone is ill or dying, you no doubt feel more responsibility for ‘doing something’. You have a natural skill or calling for this; you understand what is needed in the situation. You have a way of being that provides comfort and that’s why people call you.

You are the person who naturally reads a lot about caregiving, death and dying, issues on how to make the situation better, the latest thoughts on improving situations, etc. Many of you are volunteers for hospice, hospitals, and nursing homes. You naturally continue to seek learning opportunities.

The biggest things you need to work on, as the go-to person, are your boundaries around self-care and really reflecting on how can you help in the present situation while still taking care of yourself and your family.
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And then, there is the person who is passionate with the idea of serving others at the end of life more than they are already doing now. This person may be in one of the above categories already and be mostly satisfied there, but some are not.

Those of you who want to do more for your community are either doing that now in a volunteer capacity, working in the medical field, helping fields that serve the dying directly or indirectly, or may never have done either - but KNOW you have something to offer.

I receive calls from many of you who are drawn deeply to this work and who have been seeking, volunteering, and working in avenues already created. You have great ideas of how you want to bring this piece of you into the world in new ways; I’ll refer to you as the pioneer.

The pioneer sees holes in health and death care and has ideas of how they can help fill these gaps. Here are some suggestions for the pioneer:

1. If you do not have a lot of experience working with people who are dying, then volunteering with hospice would be a great next move. You need to begin to take action on your thoughts and ideas and make sure that when you are really there, that you can take action and still want to do so. These places need our help and are always happy to have volunteer and you will meet others passionate about serving others at the end of life as well. It’s a great action step for sure.
2. Create a focus group for your ideas. Gather 4 or 5 of your closest friends for a night of focusing on your vision. Once you are clear on your heart centered purpose, ask them for ideas on how to bring this in the world. Record the brainstorm: their input, ideas, encouragement. See what develops.
3. It may be helpful to explore with me or another end of life mentor on how you can pull all of who you are into your vision of serving. My programs are designed for exactly this—merging your special gifts, skills, and desires with your vision and plugging in the gaps in health and death care.
4. Make an inspired move! Do whatever spiritual practice you do to tune in and ask for the courage to make a step forward into your dream. Many people sit for years with this intention and never take a step forward out of fear.

Where do you fall in your interest? Take our End-of-Life Doula Interest Quiz and find out! People love this. Enjoy your results.