What I Learned About Life from Death

Talk given at TEDxMinneapolis 2018

Minneapolis, August 17th, 2018

Jane Whitlock

End-of-Life Doula

About the Talk

Jane lost her husband at the age of 47. This experience transformed every aspect of her life. She believes this level of transformation is available to every single person out there. When we don't talk about death and remind ourselves daily, (maybe hourly) that we are going to die, we run the risk of taking this magical gift called life for granted and getting all tangled up in caring about what doesn't matter.

Source: TEDxMinneapolis

About Jane

Jane Whitlock, aka, Doula Jane, is an end-of-life doula. Whitlock provides guidance and emotional support for individuals and families through the end-of-life process. Why is it okay to ask strangers at the supermarket about their pregnancy but not about their impending death? Doula Jane spends an inordinate amount of time thinking about how she can normalize death. You could say that she has a healthy fascination with death, grief, and dying. Recognising the need for an impartial and compassionate perspective during her husband’s terminal cancer battle in 2013, Whitlock launched her practice to help others in dealing with the fragile and fleeting constants of life and death. Whitlock declares that Death and its sacred rituals have many gifts to offer us. The gift of living our best lives while we face dying. The gift of finding meaning in our lives. The gift of having the opportunity to tell loved ones: I’m sorry, I forgive you, thank you, and goodbye. When we know we are dying and time is short there comes an opportunity for deep transformation for both the departing and their loved ones.

Source: TEDxMinneapolis

TEDxMinneapolis 2018

TEDxMinneapolis 2018 was hosted at the Cowles Center for Dance and the Performing Arts on August 17th, 2018. The theme was “Intention”.

Source: TEDxMinneapolis