What is a Good Life? #16 - Finding Meaning in Life with Diane Button
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Show Notes
On the 16th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast I am joined by Diane Button, who is the author of the bestselling book, Dear Death: Finding Meaning in Life, Peace in Death, and Joy in an Ordinary Day.
She holds a Master's in Counselling Psychology, is a practicing end-of-life doula and a lead instructor at the University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine’s EOL Doula Certificate Program.
In this episode Diane shares the 4 pillars of a meaningful life that she identified through interviewing people over the age of 75 who were fully content with how they lived. We discuss what she has learned about relationships, forgiveness, self-acceptance, and self-reflection, through working with people at the end of their lives.
While the conversation further reinforces for me the importance of regularly contemplating life through the lens of death in building my own good life. As it is filled with heartfelt insights, wisdom, and practical tools for living a life of greater reflection, connection, less regret, and for finding meaning.
Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for daily clips and weekly reflections.
Running Order:
01:28 Podcast Begins
04:48 Developing an acceptance of death
08:58 The journey towards working with the dying
11:18 Identifying 4 pillars of a meaningful life
15:48 Developing Self-acceptance
19:38 Seeing the beauty in yourself
20:27 The power of authentic conversations
23:39 Relieving fear and bringing more ease to the dying
27:42 Doing Life Reviews
30:03 There is life until the end
32:18 Forgiveness
37:00 Not everyone wants to address death when dying
39:38 How often do we give someone 100% of our attention?
42:40 How can we embrace and not fear death so much?
46:30 Beautiful experiences when people near death
48:50 The journey inward at the end of life
50:16 Observing the end of life
53:33 What is a good life for Diane?
For further content and information check out the following:
- For the podcast's YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/@whatisagoodlife/videos
- My newsletter: https://www.whatisagood.life/
- My LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-mccartney-14b0161b4/
- Diane's Website: https://www.dianebutton.com/
Keywords: Meaning of Life Interviews | meaning of life conversations | exploring life | big life questions | meaning of life discussions | creating a meaningful life