“To the young and to the not-so-old, I say, look at that horizon, follow that rainbow, go ride it” – Mr Lee Kuan Yew
Motivated by Death
“Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life.
Almost everything–all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure–these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important.
Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.
No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there. And yet, death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it, and that is how it should be, because death is very likely the single best invention of life. It’s life’s change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.
Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.
– Steve Jobs
Be it the words “Valar Morghulis” from Game of Thrones (“All men must die”) or the ancient Latin phrase “Memento Mori” (“Remember that you must die”), both carry the same timeless reminder.
One day, every one of us will no longer be here. There will come a day when we can no longer pursue our dreams, tell our loved ones we care, or make one more attempt at what truly matters.
Death is not merely an ending. It is life’s deadline. And perhaps that is what gives life its urgency, meaning, and value.
Live like you are dying in…
Make a list of positive/ethical things that you would do if you are dying in 1 hr, 2hrs, 10hrs, a day, a week, a fortnight, a month, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, and a year. After you finish the list, it could very well represent your “bucket list”. For the shorter-period ones, you may want to do it more often, since that would be what is most important to you.
If you only had 1 year to live, how would you live it? Try to live that way, as anything shorter may derail you into having quick pleasures or the last min goodbyes. Our aim here is to use death as a motivation to push us through important things – things that we will regret not doing at our deathbed.
In short, “die before you die”, death to your ego, which is usually hindering you or blinding you, before your physical death. The death of your ego will strip away everything that is not important, and like a baby, you will learn to experience everything again, without thinking what other people will think of you.
Movies like PS I love you, Safe Haven, etc in which the loving spouse prepares to help his/her loved ones to move on with their life after he/she dies are both touching and inspiring. What would you have wished to do for the loved ones that you haven’t done so? Or should you leave them one day, did you help them prepare for it? Note: I am not talking about insurance. I am talking about Birthday greetings, advice for tough times in life, or events in life. Your greatest wisdom for them.
The last moment
While having your last breath may feel eternal, what do you think could be your last thoughts?
If you are happy and content, most likely you would think of the happiest moment in your life, your loved ones. But if you feel lacking, most likely regrets and what could have been would fill your mind. The common thought would have been… “If only I had more time…”
And at your very last moment, what is it that you want to hold on to? Work towards that.
For some people it is money, even though they know very well they can’t bring it to their afterlife… And after they pass on, that money will be transferred to someone else – the next of kin, the hospital,
Living to the End
In Stephen Covey’s book, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, the second habit is to Begin with the End in Mind – Work towards what you want people to think or say about you after you pass away. Live every day like it could be your last, for time is both precious and limited, and most of us won’t know when it will be our last…
“The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.” – Stephen Covey
“Some people die at 25 and aren’t buried until 75.” – Benjamin Franklin
There will come a final sunrise we do not see, a final conversation we do not know is our last, and a final opportunity that never comes again.
Death is the one appointment most of us can’t postpone. The question was never whether we will die. The question is whether we truly lived before we did.
While at this point, maybe you are thinking about YOLOing… While it is true that as we live a long life, there are plenty of regrets to be had, hindsight is 20/20, so a better alternative/path is always possible when thinking back. However, I also believe those who truly regretted their actions don’t live to tell the tale…
P.S. In the end, what you can hold is what you’ve been fighting for your whole life…
Will it be someone’s hand or some items? Choose wisely.
Related