You. Are. Going. To. Die.

Sorry folks but it is an absolute fact. We are all going to pop our clogs, kick the bucket, checkout, shuffle off the mortal coil. In, let’s say, 150 years to be on the safe side, everyone you know and hold dear will be gone. Kapput. Done. Finito. Ergh, that is depressing. What’s the point in going on? Should we all just pack it in now?

No. We shouldn’t. Let me put something to you. Let’s flip it the other way around. What about if everyone lived forever. You, your friends, your family. Everyone was just born and never died. How does that make you feel? Empowered? Hopeful? Joyful? Great, we can hang out with our favourite people for all eternity. No deadlines on anything. Spend a couple of years in bed just because we feel like it? No problem. We have all the time in the world.

Hmm, would it be that great? There’d be no reason to do anything. Years could pass and there would be no point in getting anything done. Jobs? Sure, be a doctor for a couple of millennia then switch to being a clown for a few decades, the choice would be yours. Friends? You’d have thousands upon thousands. All over the world. You could leave it hundreds of years between meet-ups. Awful. Right? Doesn’t that just sound terrible. There would be no impetuous to make deep connections or work on something with real passion because we could just infinitely defer.

I wear a thin bracelet on my left wrist (fun fact, I’m right handed and wear my watch on my right hand, weird) and on it is a small bronze skull. Why do I do this? Bit morbid. This is a Momento Mori. A reminder of my death. Right there on my wrist all the time. When I oscillate between two sides of a decision, particularly when one side is hard or difficult, I look at the skull and think “You’re going to die. Make a decision. Just Do It (Nike TM).”

Death is our reason for living. To spend time with friends and family, to write that book, to study, to work on a great and meaningful thing, anything and everything. So go out there and do it. Whatever it is. Nike was really onto something. Change your job. Get the raise. Study for that qualification. Kiss the girl/guy. Climb the mountain. Have the tough conversation. Heal the wounds. Start the company. Buy the ticket.

Loads of people have written on this subject better than I have, so have an explore but the fundamental thing here is that life is short. Don’t watch the cat videos, they’re a distraction. Do call your parents. Do spend time with your friends. Do strive for that thing you’ve always wanted to do. I promise you, you will die, so make your life count.