"What 1000 Funerals Taught Me About Life." | Darren Maclean | TEDxEverett 

My great uncle purchased his grave decades before he died, and he used to go lay on it and contemplate life. He also used to bring family members out there and make them look at his grave with him, and he'd lay on it and say, "just making sure I still fit." He brought such a humour to the topic of death, and I think that's what has formed my thoughts on it. He had nearly died when he was in his 20s. He was a firefighter, and there was a fire, and he was running to the truck and his heart stopped. They rushed him to the ICU and discovered a heart defect, that he'd been born with but had never been detected, and they said he wouldn't make it to 40. He lived to be 78. But he'd been forced to make peace with his mortality in the prime of his life, and every year past 40, he never took for granted, because he knew he was past his expiration date. I young when he died (I think 20, maybe 21), and I wish I had taken more time to talk to him about life and death, but I'm so grateful for what I did learn from him, about living your life while you are alive. And it's funny because he was an old man living in a tiny town of 3,000 people. He'd been born there and never went anywhere, so it would seem like he had a boring life, but then you'd listen to him talk about his day, and he could make the most boring story sound absolutely riveting, and it's because he truly loved his life, and all those things didn't bore him. That's the approach I take now... my life might look boring or weird to someone else, but I only do the things I want to do... it doesn't have to make sense to someone else, as long as I go to sleep every night, satisfied with my day, and wake up the next morning excited for another day.

How in the world can this video have under 2000 views? This is one of the best talks I have ever heard.

Amazing talk, I myself have been doing what he said for some years now. This is truly deep and means a lot, the awareness of death really helps me live to the fullest. I kiss my grandma more before I can never kiss her anymore when she passes away someday. I try to help my mom more before maybe some accident happens, who knows, Grimm Ripper may take her, or me, away from this life. Just live like today is your last day in your life :) Honestly, this video deserves more tons of view. So many people have to see this.

Darren did the funeral service for my dad. He did such an amazing job. Thank you for helping my family through such a sad time.

I have been watching TED talks for over ten years now and this has become new favourite talk. Change someone's life today and share this video..

Hey Darren, hope you are doing great. This is such a great talk!

So powerful. Thank you so much.

Best video ever. I watched it twice back to back and agree with every word

Wow! This talk was so good!

Excellent and potent reminder...death clarifies everything ☉

Very important and meaningful message

"Every soul will taste death, and you will only be given your [full] compensation on the Day of Resurrection. So he who is drawn away from the Fire and admitted to Paradise has attained [his desire]. And what is the life of this world except the enjoyment of delusion. "(Quran 3:185)

Oh wow. Oh wow. Oh wow.

Im a Christian and I Love this talk - so there :-)

Darren Maclean where can I find out where you are talking at so I can come and meet you...

I recently left the death industry. 15 years in the game. I've seen it and done it all. Connecticut. Texas. Arizona. I've buried more people than most people will ever meet. Young old. Babies. Couples etc. It does put some perspective on life. Although I must say. The industry is highly corrupt. The " family service counselors" say horrible things about the dead and their families. It's only about the money. That's why I left. Pay us working men scraps while they pay the sales people above and beyond. It's a heaping pile. I will end it by saying. Cherish your loved ones

Does anyone know where he is now? It doesn’t look like he is associated with the church he founded anymore

There's a afterlife

I am not sure that which is better death or life. To me, both sounds tempating. True. Funeral or Marriage. You have to pick. But I am wreckage. I am too enough and can not even think about it and do not want to talk about it. A white princess would come along and that is the very too much now. I feel numb about it now used to be waiting for that. Maybe all want is a simple day of rest, no thinking at all which I am constantly doing. Whenever wherever I go, my sister shows up so easily and so constantly. That is the problem too. All I am looking for.....I do not know what it is now. Every second of my time gives strong stress and I like it very much. Insanely it is insane. A white prince seems not to be able to ease my pain and brain I can assume. Just even a day, go to beach all alone and look at an occean. I do not need a prince. Maybe I am stubborn and simple. At least I know what I am doing I am so sorry but the fact is very true. A white prince. It is just what I want is not now which I wanted before. He probably is a big burden instead, because he is chasing all after me like hiding in a place and peeking at me and he enjoys it. I say that he is the coward person. And he thinks that I like him. Maybe probably it would have worked well I suppose three years ago though. Now my white prince is to me just a trouble and he likes what I am doing this looking at this. Maybe that it is is himself. I am not confident that I can go along with him thinking about it at righr second. He is not the ultimate cure which he was suppoed to ironically. Too much for this. I am so selfish and so is he. Right ? I do not know but one thing I am positive on this is my white prince is not what I want now even gives harder time every day for rest of my life. He just likes hiding from me. Can I fall in love with love ? It is his turn to have trouble with relationship which I have always had it and it is not easy. I am not ruining the relationship and I just do not want him ANYMORE. And as a result he likes me more and more because I am funnyly strong about it and that is how the relationship works. Next it is going to be his fantacy looking for Mr.cute or whatever, definitely not my fantacy guy. Too old for this. Maybe he does not know me at all and I do not want to know him at all anymore. Imagine he shows up in front of me right now. It even gets worse than this eventually as time goes on. Am I happy ? This is not my fault or his fault I have to say. It just changed the situation waiting for a white prince. I am too much burdened for this. I am afraid that the relationship would not go that way he or I has expected for. Wrong time now or even worse afterwards. Still want a partner ? I do and do not. But to be honest with my feeling, whoever that is the one I want is the most least. Going better ? I am afraid so. I am not ready for this now and I was before.

Quite a lot Scotch

I'd like to add. Buy Graves or w.e you choose ahead of time. If you have a monument or flat marker. Don't put you name and date of birth out before ypur time. Bad luck. I speak from 15 years of installing them. And them burying them soon after. Some old. Some young. Some healthy

A man who stands at his own grave, now that is something I've never thought of before. Very Twilight Zoney

Are you a wee bit Scottish?