Claire Wineland teaches us how to live by how she prepares to die

Claire Wineland teaches us how to live by how she prepares to dieClaire Wineland teaches us how to live by how she prepares to dieClaire Wineland is one of the most remarkable people weve ever read about.Wineland is a terminally ill20-year-old living with cystic fibrosis who says shes had mora than 30 surgeries and continues to manage health complications. In an interview with CNN she shared the brilliant insights on how to live better that have earned her the nickname Little Buddha for her wisdom.Wineland has become very comfortable with the fact that she is going to die from her disease, but that hasnt stopped her from accomplishing more than most people do in a lifetime- even though she has spent a quarter of her young life in the hospital.Wineland reportedly leads her own foundation, has given numerous speeches (including this TEDxLaJolla talk when she welches 14), is writing a book, has been featured in magazines and more. She packs her days with significant, meaningful activiti es - something we all wish we could say as well.Here are just a few things we can take away from her story and apply to our own lives, both at work and at home.Know your worthWineland recognizes what she has to offer the world.She leads a organization called Claires Place Foundation, which she started after reportedly being in a coma for 16 days.All throughout my teenage years, I welches able to hold on to the foundation as a means to remind me that I had valueIts important for people who are sick to feel empowered. It gives them reason to take care of themselves, Wineland told CNN.The foundations mission shows how much it was designed to serve others in similar circumstances.The specific purpose of Claires Place Foundation is to provide heart felt help to children and young adults diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis, as well as their families, for the purpose of improving their quality of life. We hope to accomplish this by heightening awareness and providing education, skills, financi al and emotional support, the site says.Wineland also focuses on making others more at ease.I cant just expect people to know what to sayI have to make them see me as more than my illness, she told CNN.Enjoy life and lose the bucket listWineland shows why you shouldnt rush through life, looking to check off experiences and goals without really enjoying them. She openly says you dont need a bucket list in her Dying 101 vlog on her website called The Clairity Project.The truth of the matter is when you realize that youre gonna die, the biggest thing- at least for me, and a lot of other people that Ive talked to- the biggest thing is you just wanna live life slowly. You just want to enjoy it. So my lesson here, is dont let death make decisions for you, Wineland says.She adds, the point shouldnt be to try and just cram everything out before we die, because then, what were creating isnt worth creating. We shouldnt really be doing things in our life just because we may die soon. Because w ere all gonna possible die soon, so if we live our life making decisions and choices based off of that, then the things were making arent quite worth making. I feel like the stuff worth doing in your life is the stuff that youre called to do because you feel like the world needs it- not because you just wanna cram it out before you die.Wineland reportedly stopped making videos with the production company after no longer seeing eye-to-eye with the business, and instead got more involved in giving talks instead and Claires Place Foundation instead.Make each moment mean somethingBeing more present makes your life count more. While Wineland reportedly isnt a fan of bucket lists, this paragraph from the story speaks directly to what she does instead.Fixating on a checklist of goals before she goes sounds exhausting, she says, especially when youve been dying your whole life. Instead, shed rather focus on doing all she can in each moment, Ravitz writes.Even though Wineland reportedly left Santa Monica College because of her condition, she is now part of a partnership with Zappos for Good to make hospitals more comfortable. Heres the talk where she reportedly addressed the company before the partnership started.Give yourself permission to be humanEven though Wineland has been so actively engaged, she seems to let herself be human, and tells Ravitz about the reality of how she often feels bad, but keeps going. This resilience and vulnerability are key traits of successful people - but more importantly, they create a more joyful life.She echoed this during a talk.Its OK to feel pain and experience itIm not trying to fix myself. My suffering has given me so much, she reportedly said at a TEDx talk in Encinitas, where Ravitz was present.She also practices Buddhism currently, and did meditation and yoga in the past.Wineland is a true example of what can happen when we remember that life cant be put on hold