If Life Had An Expiration Date: A New Perspective On Time And Purpose
What if we, as individuals, had a defined expiration date? 🕰️
I don’t know if you regularly think about your own mortality, but I do! 💭
In 2017, experiencing a late-term abortion and losing our baby boy was a huge punch in the face. It wasn’t the first time I had lost someone, but it was the first time I truly realized that real tragedy could strike and that life is incredibly precious. It hit hard!
Since that wake-up call, I made a promise to myself—and to him—that I would live my life to the fullest, on my own terms. And I do my best to live by that every day.
A few years ago, I discovered Stoicism and was introduced to the concept of Memento Mori, which translates to “Remember you must die.”
I see it as a reminder that our time on Earth is finite, and time is a limited resource for all of us. We don’t know how much time we have left; it could be years, or it could be just tomorrow. I don’t interpret Memento Mori as “live each day as if it were your last” because that would be too extreme and unsustainable. Instead, I take it as a reminder to live a life that, if it ended tomorrow, I wouldn’t regret. I can say that, right now, I’m there. I haven’t achieved everything I dream about or seen everything I want to see… but I would be okay if I had to go tomorrow.
I think too many people unconsciously believe they’ll live forever—that there will always be more time. That’s why so many people postpone their happiness and true desires to “someday” (or to retirement).
Which brings me to my original question: what if we had a defined expiration date? 🗓️ What if, for example, we knew that, no matter what, we would die at 80? We could die sooner, but on our 80th birthday, it would be our last day.
I think it would completely change how we approach life. Many people would redefine their priorities to make sure they do everything they want before reaching the end. I think we’d see a surge of happiness and a steep decline in many destructive patterns and behaviors. We’d stop wasting precious hours and days working jobs we hate, spending time with people we don’t like, or pleasing others, and instead focus on what truly matters to us because we’d know we can’t push things off forever.
Take a moment to think about it. What are the things you keep pushing off because you assume there’s always more time? How many things have you pushed off in the past that you now can’t do anymore?
❤️ Tell someone you love them; they might be gone tomorrow.
🏝️ Go visit that friend in paradise; they might move next month.
💌 Ask that person out before someone else does.
🗺️ Quit the job you hate and go backpacking for a year; your health may not allow it by retirement.
This list could go on forever. Hopefully, you get the idea.
As much as it may sound cliché, YOLO is true: You Only Live Once. This life won’t last forever, and your health won’t last forever. Don’t keep pushing your happiness to some imaginary future. Live now 🌟.