Is Your Death Going to Improve Your Life?

I’ve been thinking a lot about my death. 

And I’m hoping to think about it even more in the future. 

A great way to start a blog post, don’t you think?

Here’s what I’m talking about. 

We can all die at any time. It’s one of the facts about being a human (or any lifeform on earth). We are mortal. We will, at some point, cease to exist. 

Of course, there’s always the belief in reincarnation or an afterlife. However, as much as I love The Good Place, that’s not what I want to focus on for this blog post. 

What I do want to cover is what thinking about my death has done for my mindset. How embracing the fact that I could die at any moment has actually been positive for me.

So let’s get into it.

I’m pretty happy with my life so far. I’ve worked hard at school and at each job that I’ve had since graduating. I’ve made time for socializing, for exercising, for fancy dinners. I’ve met new friends, held onto old friends, and spent countless hours with a variety of cats. I’ve written for a couple of online publications while also managing to write a few posts here (every now and again). And I’ve made some YouTube videos that I think are pretty enjoyable. 

I’ve traveled throughout Europe and am continuing to explore new places—hopefully, I’ll be populating your feeds with photos and stories about Hong Kong soon. I’ve jumped off boats into crisp ocean waters, white water rafted down the rivers of Idaho, and tried surfing, horseback riding, four-wheeling, skateboarding, snow shoeing, dog sledding, snowboarding, and backpacking.

To me, those accomplishments are something to be proud of. 

However, I don’t think they’re enough. 

As I walked down Bush street on my way home from work on Thursday evening, the thought struck me. I could be run over by a car right here and now. All it would take is a driver being a little too reckless and swerving to run me over. 

I’m not sure why the thought popped into my head. To be honest, it’s popped into my head at various times before. But this time around, it brought me to a halt. Not because I’d suddenly become terrified about the end of my life, but because I knew I would not be satisfied with everything that I’d done. More specifically, I wouldn’t be satisfied with my approach and attitude toward adding to my to-do list. 

I am happy with the amount I’ve accomplished. I don’t feel like a failure in life. However, I also don’t feel like I’ve truly lived up to my full potential. There is so much more that I want to create. So much more that I want to see. So much more that I want to do. 

My life has not been enough. 

Not nearly. 

And yet I haven’t been pushing myself as hard as I need to in order to live a life that I would be satisfied with. Don’t get me wrong. I work hard at the office. I write on this blog somewhat often. I exercise at least twice a week. 

But if I were to die right now, the life I had would be fine. It wouldn’t be great. It wouldn’t be extraordinary. It would just be fine. 

It’s a cliché as old as time: live every day like it’s your last. Carpe Diem. Bucket List. 

But I want to embrace this. I want it to become a mantra. Something I actively think about in the mornings and in the evenings. I don’t think I’ll get it tattooed anywhere (at least not yet), but I want it to be ever present.

Maybe I’ll write it with dry erase marker on my mirror. 

Or maybe, I’ll take a piece of paper and a black ink pen and write out the following statements:

• Do what’s asked of you—and then do more.

• Find the meaning behind every project so that you’re not just doing, you’re contributing to growth, development, creativity, and success.

• Write a blog post even if you’re exhausted after work. 

• Only be embarrassed if something you’ve done has hurt someone else (and learn from this). Otherwise, move forward with confidence and try new things. 

• Pick someplace new to travel (and don’t discount the USA).

• Stop getting frustrated by the little things. 

• Ask people more questions. Listen. Then ask them more questions. 

Thinking about my death the first thing in the morning may seem detrimental, but really, I think it’s the most positive thing I’ve done in a while. I’ve heard of gratitude meditation, and I suppose this is similar. It’s acknowledging who you want to be remembered as and telling yourself to become that person.

So, my question to you: what does your death make you want to do?