Welcome to Stoic Snippets,
A wealth of wisdom in just a matter of minutes.
So today we're going to be thinking and talking about death.
Now I know it sounds macabre,
But sometimes thinking about death can actually bring you to life.
That's the message behind Memento Mori,
The stoic tradition of reminding yourself daily that life is a perishable good.
So here's your reminder.
You are going to die.
I know,
Hard to hear,
Right?
But look,
Don't shoot the messenger.
It's just a fact,
A fact of life.
Now there's nothing you can do about the dying part,
But what you can do is something about the living part.
As Seneca writes,
Death,
Therefore,
The most awful of evils,
Is nothing to us,
Seeing that,
When death is here,
We are not,
And when we are here,
Death is not.
So we can rely on death to arrive,
But what about life?
Well,
Seneca goes on.
It's not that we have a short time to live,
But that we are so wasteful of it.
You say you're scared of dying,
But tell me,
Is this kind of life you lead any different from being dead?
You act like mortals in all that you fear,
And like immortals in all that you desire.
If we are to truly live,
We need to recognize that we only have this life.
So as you reflect on the rest of your day,
Think about how you will make the most of it.
Not concerning yourself with pettiness or meaningless stuff,
Stuff that you can't take with you,
As Seneca says,
Desiring things as if we were immortal.
Instead,
Concern yourself with the things that make life so god damn beautiful.
Friendship,
Kindness,
Beauty,
Love.
How will you make this day count?
How will you use your time?
On social media,
Or actual social gatherings?
By being mad,
Or by being better?
How will you make this day,
One that brings you closer to life?
If you enjoyed this,
Why not check out my full length course on Stoicism,
A Beginner's Guide to Happiness,
Or leave me a review telling me how you are going to make the most out of your day.
Thanks very much,
I'll see you soon.
