Reality Check - One Day You Will Die
“Memento mori” is a Latin phrase which translates to “remember that you must die.”
Before you leave the page because of your raging discomfort talking about death, lean in for a minute - this is important.
There is great value in reminding yourself that one day you will die, one day you’ll lose a game, one day your favorite mug will break, one day all of your loved ones will also be six feet in the ground.
Thinking about the inevitable can prepare yourself for when it eventually happens.
It is actually healthy and motivating to think about the end of life.
Why?
It is a powerful perspective shifter, it can motivate you to create the life you really want, and force you to approach each day as if it’s your last.
A gut punch question to ask yourself as you lay in bed at night is,
“If I were to die in my sleep, would I be satisfied with my last day on Earth?”
Sometimes for me, the answer is no.
Maybe I had a hasty interaction with family or I have not yet broken the code to live out my dreams or it was just a blah day. In these cases, reflecting is motivation to shift and strive to be better with the rising sun.
But sometimes for me, the answer is yes.
Maybe I had loving interactions with my family or I experienced a magical moment of flow working towards my dreams or it was an overall energizing day.
We live in a society where many outside forces seem to tell us what to do - go to college, get a 9-5 job, get a house, start a family, do this, do that, yada yada yada.
I am guilty of subscribing to this way of living.
For most of my life I’ve made choices to accomplish these milestones because it seemed like the “right thing to do.”
But we don’t have to follow those rules.
You can make your own path, your own rules, your own milestones - why not, it’s your life!
Reverse to “memento mori” is the phrase “memento vivere” which translates to “remember you must live.”
As jolting as it can be to remind yourself that soon you will be dead, it can be just as jolting to remind yourself to LIVE LIFE, make choices that will help create the life that YOU want to build.
You want to invent a life-changing product? Good - how can you live life today to take a micro step towards that?
You want to be a professional athlete? Good - how can you live life today to take a micro step towards that?
You want to live in an RV full time? Good - how can you live life today to take a micro step towards that?
You want to skip college to run your own business? Good - how can you live life today to take a micro step towards that?
You want to live off grid and be self-sufficient? Good - how can you live life today to take a micro step towards that?
You want to make a living as traveling circus juggler? Good - how can you live life today to take a micro step towards that?
You want to healthy, stable, and strong? Good - how can you live life today to take a micro step towards that?
All of these life scripts are possible.
Intentional practice, investing in yourself, hard work, and taking calculated risks responsibly is essential to close the gap of where you are and where you want to be.
Thinking and meditating on your forthcoming death is a strategy often overlooked by others because it can be uncomfortable to be real about your destiny.
The best performers are willing to be uncomfortable and consider the gut punch questions in order to be truly honest with their performance and way of life.
The legacy you leave does not start when you are six feet in the ground.
Your legacy starts today - how you treat people, how you treat yourself, how you put in the work, and the impact you have matters.
Don’t take this responsibility lightly. Your legacy will survives until last time someone mentions your name.
Make your life story one worth reading about and most importantly one worth living.
Remember, you will die one day.
Remind yourself often.
Remind yourself lovingly.
Remind yourself that you are in control of creating the life you want.
