At 80, I’ve been thinking more about death and realizing that talking about aging has sometimes been my way of avoiding the subject altogether. I’ve planned my memorial and organized my affairs, but there’s one thing I can’t plan for: the experience of dying itself. How do we face the unknown, and can we ever truly prepare for a journey none of us understands?

In this episode, I share my personal, sometimes uncomfortable thoughts about death, from my fears of pain and losing control to the unexpected moments of calm that remind me I may not need all the answers. Perhaps the path will reveal itself when the time comes. I don’t know, but I suspect I’m not alone in wondering.

Akasha’s Book

A spirited memoir of bold adventures, unexpected detours, and one woman’s journey to create a life on her own terms, “Unbecoming Behavior, A Southern Memoir of Adventurous Choices by Akasha Halsey.” is now available! Learn more and purchase here: https://nowthatyouaskpodcast.com/unbecoming-behavior/

About the Show

Now That You Ask is a podcast that looks at topics that range from death to desire, and from wondrous to downright whacky. Join host, Akasha Halsey as she takes listeners on a journey through her writing and experience with life’s most persistent questions.

Thank you for listening!

Listen to more episodes like this and subscribe to updates at https://nowthatyouaskpodcast.com

“The person who sets out on the journey is not the one who arrives.” This David Whyte quote has me thinking about how every journey changes us, whether we realize it or not. From leaving home for college, living on a spiritual commune, traveling the world, publishing my memoir, buying a new home, and turning eighty, each chapter has asked me to see myself differently. Some changes have been joyful, some humbling, and some difficult, but all have shaped the person I am today.

I’m beginning to understand that there is no final destination where everything is figured out and life becomes perfect. The line I spent so many years trying to reach simply keeps moving forward. And perhaps that is the gift. Life will continue to change me through its challenges, surprises, losses, and joys. My work now is to stay open, relax my need to control the outcome, and trust that the answers will arrive when they’re ready. I look forward to discovering who I become along the way.

Akasha’s Book

A spirited memoir of bold adventures, unexpected detours, and one woman’s journey to create a life on her own terms, “Unbecoming Behavior, A Southern Memoir of Adventurous Choices by Akasha Halsey.” is now available! Learn more and purchase here: https://nowthatyouaskpodcast.com/unbecoming-behavior/

About the Show

Now That You Ask is a podcast that looks at topics that range from death to desire, and from wondrous to downright whacky. Join host, Akasha Halsey as she takes listeners on a journey through her writing and experience with life’s most persistent questions.

Thank you for listening!

Listen to more episodes like this and subscribe to updates at https://nowthatyouaskpodcast.com

After my first conversation with a group of women who had read my memoir, I found myself reflecting on what it means to tell our stories and allow ourselves to be truly seen. Their questions brought me back to the experiences that shaped me and reminded me why writing them down mattered. Our memories can reveal our strengths, our struggles, and even the parts of ourselves we might prefer to overlook.

I’ve come to believe that knowing ourselves is a lifelong practice. For me, it means slowing down long enough to listen to my inner wisdom, accepting that I’m still a work in progress, and learning to offer myself the same kindness I give to others. This beautiful conversation left me feeling seen, grateful, and reminded that sometimes the wisdom we’re looking for is already within us.

Akasha’s Book

A spirited memoir of bold adventures, unexpected detours, and one woman’s journey to create a life on her own terms, “Unbecoming Behavior, A Southern Memoir of Adventurous Choices by Akasha Halsey.” is now available! Learn more and purchase here: https://nowthatyouaskpodcast.com/unbecoming-behavior/

About the Show

Now That You Ask is a podcast that looks at topics that range from death to desire, and from wondrous to downright whacky. Join host, Akasha Halsey as she takes listeners on a journey through her writing and experience with life’s most persistent questions.

Thank you for listening!

Listen to more episodes like this and subscribe to updates at https://nowthatyouaskpodcast.com