The Sun Will Soon Set, and You With It

Marcus Aurelius said:

Your days are numbered. Use them to throw open the windows of your soul to the sun. If you do not, the sun will soon set, and you with it.

There is an uncomfortable truth that everyone knows, but seems to be constantly forgetting: we will die.

The fact that we will die is something we cannot change. Our lives will come to an end. We can postpone death. But we cannot change the fact that we will die. Eventually, all of this will come to an end.

The Stoics used reminders of death to clarify what is important: character and relationships. Reminders of death can inspire a sense of urgency. It may seem morbid, but reminders of death help us embrace life.

In the face of our mortality, what is unimportant, may seem even less so. What is important, may seem even more so.

Because of this, it may be useful to ingrain a sense of impermanence into your everyday. What you treasure will pass away. What you dislike will follow.

This sense of impermanence in all things, paradoxically, can seem life seem at once much more valuable and much less serious. I find that it helps what is important stick and what is trivial fade away.

Death is a difficult topic to bring to mind, however, it cannot be avoided. Despite moonshot work to extend our lives, we have the nature of mortal beings. We cannot deny reality. It is much better to face our fears than retreat from them.

In the words of the martial artist Rickson Gracie,

Our fears do not stop death, they stop life.