You could leave life right now. Let that determine what you do and say and think. - Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
Memento mori - Remember you are going to die. Bit of a pessimistic thing to open with on a Saturday, I’ll grant you that. But the idea of memento mori is one of the most misunderstood pieces of Stoic philosophy and is more widely applicable than just making you question your own mortality.
In Meditations, Marcus Aurelius writes, “You could leave life right now. Let that determine what you do and say and think”. Taken at face value, it’s the grim thought that you are going to die. Underneath that is a deep appreciation for the things you do every day. Everything you do in your life, at some point you are going to do it for the last time. Eat pizza, go for a walk, play golf, go out for a run, give your parents/partner/sibling a hug. The cruel part is that you never know when the last time is going to be.
When you apply this every day, though, it is genuinely life-changing (and I don’t use that word lightly). The impermanence of everything around you increases your appreciation of it. This might be the last time you get to eat pizza; savour every single bite. This might be the last time you can hug your partner, squeeze them extra tight. You just never know.
Next time you do something you enjoy, remember it might be the last time you get to do it. Don’t get sad about it, appreciate it. Enjoy it. Savour it.
James