Accepting the reality that everyone dies eventually is an important step toward appreciating the life you have left to live. Arthur's advice: Stand in front of a mirror, look into your eyes and repeat to yourself, "I'm going to die." But the mindset shift can have many beneficial effects: Embracing mortality leads people to be more compassionate, mindful and driven to achieve their goals in life, Santos said. Arthur has spoken to hundreds of individuals about their final stages of life. "Grounding in my mortality means that at some point I won't have access to all these senses anymore," Arthur said.

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Persons: Alua Arthur, Laurie Santos, Arthur, Santos, Grace Organizations: Yale University Locations: Los Angeles