The doctor calls: you have a short time to live. 2-12 years

Breaking news: an asteroid is hurtling towards earth and could destroy the planet. The judge rules: you have a year to get your affairs in order and report to prison for the mandatory maximum sentence. The doctor calls: you have a short time to live. The sirens sound: nuclear war has broken out and the end is near.

This is going to change everything, we tell ourselves. These moments or minutes or months we have left, they will be so precious to us. We’re going to focus. We’re going to get over our fears. Say what needs to be said, do what needs to be done.

We’ll finally be able, to live and act like a dying person. Or will we? Might we instead just go right back to our phones? Bury our heads in the digital sand and pretend it’s all a bad dream, or that someone will figure it out before it’s too late?

You’ve been a dying person this whole time—since birth. What makes you think you’d suddenly shake off your stupor and get serious?

Did the pandemic do that for you?

Habits die hard…even in the face of death. They knew that progress was impossible without training. Just as you can’t expect to run a marathon if you have not run a mile, you can’t just trust that you’ll get serious when things get serious. You have to practice that right now. You have to flex those muscles, build that strength, develop that capacity.

Memento Mori.

-Ryan

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