Eliyahu Eliezer Dessler

And I said, 'When will the opportunity come my way to fulfill this?' Now that I have the opportunity, will I not fulfill it?" He prolonged the word one until his soul left his body with the word one, echad.

A voice descended from heaven and said, "Fortunate are you, Rebbe Akiva, that your soul left your body as you uttered the word echad." What does Rebbe Akiva mean when he says that he's been waiting for this moment his entire life? Rav Eliyahu Dessler explains that Rebbe Akiva was proclaiming that every time he ever recited the Shema, he would envision himself giving up his life for God with great joy to the point that his soul experienced such a powerful yearning to become close to God in this way.

Now that it was actually happening in real life, he was already mentally prepared and was finally able to fully engage in reciting the Shema and allowing himself to fully unify with the Almighty.

Though this seems like a truly lofty level, this story sets a tone and a direction for what we are essentially striving for when we say these words.