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What If Today Was the Last Day of Your Life?
Memento Mori: Remember You Will Die
The ancient Stoics had a practice called memento mori—remember death. Not to be morbid, but to be fully alive. When we contemplate our mortality, something profound happens. The petty worries dissolve. The perfectionism loses its grip. The fear of judgment seems ridiculous compared to the fear of dying with our gifts still inside.
In this session, we practice a powerful death meditation. We imagine having five years left, then one year, then six months, then one week. We ask ourselves: What would I do differently? Who would I tell I love them? What would I stop worrying about? What would I finally share?
When we truly feel our mortality—when we let it sink in that we don't know how much time we have—everything changes. Nick didn't know he only had 64 years. None of us know.
Contemplating death daily isn't depressing. It's liberating. It puts our fears in perspective. It reminds us what actually matters. It gives us permission to stop waiting and start living. To stop perfecting and start sharing. To stop preparing and start being.
This practice has been used by monks, warriors, and wise teachers for thousands of years. Because when you remember you will die, you remember how to live.
Listen to this episode and let me know what hit you. Email me at [email protected] with your thoughts, breakthroughs, or questions. If you're an Awakened Academy student, join the discussion in our private Facebook group. Not a student yet? You're welcome to apply anytime at awakenedacademy.com.
WHY CONTEMPLATING DEATH DAILY IS GOOD FOR US:
Dissolves perfectionism - When you might die tomorrow, "not perfect enough" becomes absurd
Clarifies priorities - You instantly know what matters and what doesn't
Eliminates petty fears - Fear of judgment shrinks compared to fear of dying with gifts inside
Creates urgency without anxiety - Motivates action from love, not panic
Makes you grateful - Every day becomes a gift, not a guarantee
Frees you to be real - No time for pretending when time is limited
Puts critics in perspective - Their opinions matter nothing when you're facing eternity
Makes you braver - What's the worst that can happen? You're going to die anyway
Deepens presence - You stop living in "someday" and start living NOW
Ancient wisdom - Stoics, Buddhists, monks have used this for millennia
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By Michael MackintoshMemento Mori: Remember You Will Die
The ancient Stoics had a practice called memento mori—remember death. Not to be morbid, but to be fully alive. When we contemplate our mortality, something profound happens. The petty worries dissolve. The perfectionism loses its grip. The fear of judgment seems ridiculous compared to the fear of dying with our gifts still inside.
In this session, we practice a powerful death meditation. We imagine having five years left, then one year, then six months, then one week. We ask ourselves: What would I do differently? Who would I tell I love them? What would I stop worrying about? What would I finally share?
When we truly feel our mortality—when we let it sink in that we don't know how much time we have—everything changes. Nick didn't know he only had 64 years. None of us know.
Contemplating death daily isn't depressing. It's liberating. It puts our fears in perspective. It reminds us what actually matters. It gives us permission to stop waiting and start living. To stop perfecting and start sharing. To stop preparing and start being.
This practice has been used by monks, warriors, and wise teachers for thousands of years. Because when you remember you will die, you remember how to live.
Listen to this episode and let me know what hit you. Email me at [email protected] with your thoughts, breakthroughs, or questions. If you're an Awakened Academy student, join the discussion in our private Facebook group. Not a student yet? You're welcome to apply anytime at awakenedacademy.com.
WHY CONTEMPLATING DEATH DAILY IS GOOD FOR US:
Dissolves perfectionism - When you might die tomorrow, "not perfect enough" becomes absurd
Clarifies priorities - You instantly know what matters and what doesn't
Eliminates petty fears - Fear of judgment shrinks compared to fear of dying with gifts inside
Creates urgency without anxiety - Motivates action from love, not panic
Makes you grateful - Every day becomes a gift, not a guarantee
Frees you to be real - No time for pretending when time is limited
Puts critics in perspective - Their opinions matter nothing when you're facing eternity
Makes you braver - What's the worst that can happen? You're going to die anyway
Deepens presence - You stop living in "someday" and start living NOW
Ancient wisdom - Stoics, Buddhists, monks have used this for millennia