Episode 16 - Embracing our mortality to create more purpose and meaning in life with Dr. Steven Pantilat

For many of us, thinking about our own death is too daunting, so we turn away. Yet embracing our mortality can help us create more meaning and purpose in our lives and cause us to explore questions like… What do I hope for most? What’s most important to me? What is the legacy I want to leave behind?

These are some of the questions that our wise guest, Dr. Steven Pantilat, founding director of the UCSF Palliative Care program, asks his patients on a daily basis. In this interview, Dr. Pantilat talks about what it’s like to deliver the devastating news of a terminal diagnosis while holding the space for people to process. He talks about how to find hope, even in the most dire of circumstances. We explore the power of gratitude, our relationship with denial and the big questions to ask yourself when planning for the future. No matter your situation, our hope is that this conversation will broaden your perspective and inspire you to get moving on what is most important to you.