A Prescription for Life

A man who was struggling with a variety of emotional problems went to see a therapist about his troubles. He was experiencing a crisis that affected his work life, his family interactions, and his self-esteem. You might say he was having a full-blown, certified mid-life crisis. “I want to know who I am and my real purpose in life,” he lamented.

After an hour-long session listening to the man, the therapist pulled a pad from the desk drawer and wrote the following “prescription,” which read, “Spend one hour next Sunday watching the sunrise while walking in a cemetery.” The following Sunday, the man did just that. A year later, he said that was a turning point in his life. “I had to be reminded,” he said, “that while death awaits each of us — until that appointed time, there is still the dawn of a new day ahead.”

It is “New Year’s Day,” when many of us make our annual “New Year’s Resolutions.”  Put another…