This Just In — You Are Going to Die
This was the news delivered to the U.S. earlier this month. The news was not that U.S. citizens were going to die at that moment. The news was that the life expectancy for someone born in 2016 in the United States went from 78.9 to 78.8 years. This was the first life expectancy drop since 1993. We were going to die just a little earlier.
Life expectancy differs largely around the world. I was working in Niger 6 years ago. Niger is a West African French-speaking country. I noticed that the people I was working with had a special term when they referred to me. My French is only good enough to get me a few necessities and in to trouble. I asked one of the guys what the term meant. He said it was a term of respect. It basically translated to “the ancient.” I can’t say that I had ever thought of myself as “ancient.” Until, I realized that the average life expectancy in Niger was far shorter. In fact, geoba.se says the life expectancy in Niger for 2016 is 55 years old. It is ranked as the 210th country in terms of life expectancy.
Where does the U.S. fall in the overall picture? Again, according to geoba.se, the U.S. is ranked 53rd.
So who has the number one position in life expectancy? The small, wealthy European country of Monaco is number 1. The average expected age is 89.5. It soars above second place Japan by 4.5 years.
In the rankings, many African countries are clustered at the bottom of the list. South Africa is positioned in last place with an average life expectancy of only 49.9 years
As with many year-end writings, I will venture a few reflective, maybe even philosophical, thoughts about the way in which life can be lived. Perhaps one of these summarizes how you live or can provide inspiration to achieve a great quality of life in your days on earth.
“The quality of life is more important than life itself.” Alexis Carrel
“Fact: If standard of living is your number one objective, quality of life almost never improves. But if quality of life is your number one objective, standard of living invariably improves.” Zig Ziglar
“The length of your life doesn’t guarantee a better quality of life.”― Dannika Dark, Two Minutes
“Life is ten percent what happens to you and ninety percent how you respond to it.” Charles Swindoll
“Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of.” Benjamin Franklin
“You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.” Mae West
“In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: It goes on.” Robert Frost
“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” Nelson Mandela
“Life is ours to be spent, not to be saved.” D. H. Lawrence
“Get busy living or get busy dying.” Stephen King
“In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.” Abraham Lincoln
May your life be full and fulfilling regardless of years lived.
Let me know your thoughts. You can read other snippets from me on LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/in/rbelt
About the author: Have you ever used a cigarette lighter charger for your cell phone? Have you ever used your cell phone to read a bar code? Have you ever heard of cop cams? Robert Belt introduced those technologies and has been involved in business development/new product introduction for over 30 years. Recent projects have included product introductions in wireless communication/telecom, beauty/fashion industry, automotive industry, consumer electronics and power management technology. Contact information or other snippets can be found on LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/in/rbelt
