Scrolling through Instagram this Sunday morning, 19 April 2026, I came across Instructions Before Leaving Earth by James McCrae. My algorithm tends to offer up a familiar mix these days, gardening tips, a bit of pig husbandry, the obligatory dog videos, and the occasional spiritual pocket of niceness. This one sat quietly amongst it all, easy to pass by, which made me pause and wonder how many small, meaningful things I miss in a day.
The poem is written almost like a set of instructions, or something we might have been told before arriving here and then forgotten. It does not feel complicated, more like something you recognise rather than learn.
What stayed with me most is the reminder that nothing here is permanent. We spend so much time holding on, shaping things, trying to make them stay. And yet everything shifts. People, places, even the versions of ourselves we thought were fixed. I can feel how often I still try to steady things that are naturally moving.
The simplicity of we are only guests, sharing we should try to tread lightly on this earth, not to make a mess, to listen more than speak, and to give more than you take.
The author does not try to resolve anything. It simply places a few steady thoughts in front of you and leaves you with them. A kind of perspective that does not demand anything but lingers. And that felt enough for me today.
I have shared the poem below, in full, for anyone who happens to pass by and might find something in it too.
Instructions Before Leaving Earth
by James McCrae
In the event that you wake up and find your soul separated from source and manifest into material form, don’t panic. Your condition is only temporary.
You have been selected for the opportunity of human incarnation.
This 3D simulation is designed to break up the monotony of eternity by giving you a fully immersive experience as a distinct ego identity.
Your body will serve as your physical avatar as you navigate a dense and dramatic reality. There will be many distractions causing you to forget your true nature
and origin. You will experience a range of emotions, from joy to loneliness to despair.
But remember – no matter what trials and traumas you encounter, your soul remains perfectly safe.
At times you may feel lost or afraid. This is totally normal. If you ever need guidance, simply slow down your busy mind and bring your awareness to the quiet place inside yourself.
On this planet, nothing is permanent. People and things will come and go. You will fall in love and form sentimental attachments only to lose everything you hold dear.
So cling to nothing too tightly, even yourself, and when it’s time to let go, let go with grace, for nothing is owned, only borrowed.
As you walk among the people on the planet, try to be a good guest. Tread lightly. Remember that you are only visiting. Don’t make a mess. Listen more than you speak. Give more than you take.
Don’t keep your soft heart locked inside a glass cage, protected from wear and tear.
You’ll never make it out alive and time passes quickly. So come back with some battle scars and good stories to tell.
The Quiet Turning 
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