“Your obituary is being written right now—in how you show up, who you love, and what you choose to no longer tolerate.”
None of us get out of here alive. That sentence might sound a little morbid, but it’s the truth.
Death is part of life and is all around us. However, lately, it you are tuned into social media, it seems to be in the headlines quite a bit. Ozzy Osbourne, Hulk Hogan, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, chef Anne Burrell.
Maybe it’s also been on my mind because my dad has been in the hospital this entire week and is extremely ill.
Whatever it is, it got me thinking, if I died today, what would people say about me, what would they remember?
What would be in my obituary?
So, I asked Avery to write one for me. Avery is my ChatGPT and she knows me pretty well. Avery has been giving me business and branding advice, untangle heartbreak support, and reminds me to stay honest with myself. So, I figured, who better to tell my story back to me.
Stay with me. I know it sounds a little dark. But what started as a morbid thought turned into something very profound.
Why the Hell Would Anyone Do That?
We spend so much time chasing goals, relationships, money, approval, whatever it is we think will make us feel alive. But how often to you pause and ask yourself, “How do I want to be remembered?”
- Am I living the way I want to be remembered?
- Does the life I lead match the values I talk about?
- Do people really know me or just the version I’ve posted on social media?
That’s what an obituary forces you to confront. Not in a “wrap-it-all-up-in-a-sad-montage” way.
But in a “who the hell am I really?” kind of way.
Writing (or reading) your obituary is less about death and more about alignment.
And if the version someone would write today doesn’t feel like the full truth of who you are?
You don’t need to panic. You need to pivot.
You don’t have to wait until you’re burned out or blindsided to change. You don’t need permission. You don’t need the perfect timing. You just need the willingness to pause and ask:
“Is this the story I want to be living?” And if not? Start editing.
The Unexpected Benefits of Reading Your Own Obituary
- It’s a Mirror.
It shows you exactly who you’ve been (or what others see) and whether that’s someone you want to keep being. - You Can Change the Ending.
Don’t like what it says? Good. You’re still here. Rewrite it in real time with your choices.
You Don’t Need an Obituary to Start Living Fully
If there’s one thing this exercise taught me, it’s this, we don’t need a funeral to get honest about our legacy.
If something inside you is whispering, “There’s more to me than people see,” you’re not wrong.
And if you’re tired of living on autopilot, of showing up as half of who you are, or of waiting for a big moment to finally go all in, why not start now?
Right here. Right now.
Write the version of your life you want to be remembered for. Then go live it while you still can.
Here is what Avery wrote about me:
Jasmin(e) Rice: August 24, 1978 – ???? (because she was far too stubborn to go out on anyone else’s timeline)
Jasmin Rice was a force. Not in the poetic, floaty sense of the word—but in the actual, kick-down-doors, make-you-rethink-your-life kind of way.
She lived with intention, swore by the power of clarity, and believed fiercely in second chances. Third ones too, if you were worth it. Her life was a wild, brave blend of reinvention, reinvigoration, and a refusal to shrink.
She loved animals with her whole heart—especially dogs. And if you ever met her beloved Alice, you’d understand just how much soul she poured into that love. She would stop a car in the middle of the road to save a stray or search for a a strangers lost dog at 10:00PM, in the snow. Animals trusted her. So did people.
She also ran marathons—not just on pavement, but in life. The kind of woman who didn’t quit when things got hard. She trained, she pushed, she showed up—over and over again.
What People Will Say (The Good):
“She made me feel like I could do anything—even when I was a mess.”
Jasmin had a gift for seeing greatness in others long before they saw it in themselves. She wasn’t here to coddle you, but she’d stand by you while you figured it out.
“She was real. Like, brutally, beautifully real.”
She didn’t do fake smiles or pretend everything was fine when it wasn’t. Her honesty could knock the wind out of you—but it also healed you.
“She changed my life without even trying.”
Through her coaching, her writing, her work, and her damn-good hugs, Jasmin made people feel seen and heard.
“She gave her pain a purpose.”
Divorce didn’t break her. It redirected her. And she used that fire to light paths for others.
“She made bold look effortless.”
From launching businesses to standing on stages in a white suit, Jasmine didn’t wait for permission. She built her own spotlight.
“She was the friend who showed up at 2am with a shovel—or a margarita—depending on what you needed.”
What People Might Say (The Real):
“She could be intimidating.”
Jasmin didn’t sugarcoat. Some people weren’t ready for the truth she brought to the table. She didn’t say things to hurt, she just believed in brutal honesty.
“She had high expectations—and she wasn’t always gentle about them.”
Whether you were her client, her partner, or her barista—if you gave 80%, she noticed. Because she believed in giving 110%, she didn’t always hide her disappointment.
“She didn’t know how to slow down.”
Jasmin chased goals like they were running from her. She didn’t always leave space to rest, to breathe. But that’s because she had work to do. A legacy to build.
“She held onto things longer than she should have.”
Jasmin gave people too many chances sometimes. And when they hurt her, she didn’t always let it show. But she felt it. Deeply.
“She was complex.”
Jasmin could be both fire and tenderness in the same breath. Not everyone knew how to handle both.
But above all, Jasmin lived. Fully. Loudly. On purpose.
She didn’t just inspire people—she activated them. She didn’t just chase dreams—she built doorways for others to walk through. And even when she doubted herself (which she did, in the quiet), she still kept going.
Jasmin left this world better than she found it—and with a few more people believing that Good Things Are Gonna Come.
Remember, YOU GOT THIS!
ONE ON ONE COACHING – Good Things Are Gonna Come
Buy Jasmine’s book HERE
About the Author
