Life is not something to waste. It’s truly precious. That’s why death is such a great teacher. It is death that makes life precious… How precious would life be if there was no such thing as death? You’d waste every second of it because you’d figure you’d always have it. It is scarcity that makes things precious.

Michael Singer - from The Untethered Soul : Contemplating Death

 

 

At the weekend it turned THE FIRST OF JULY.

 

We hit the halfway mark for 2023.

 

Milestones like this remind me how time can slip away. How a week or month can be gone without us seemingly noticing. Like it just somehow mysteriously vanished.

 

Milestones like this remind me of the preciousness of life. They remind me to put a conscious effort each day into appreciating more moments. Not necessarily getting more done, or achieving more, but being more present and experiencing life more fully. 

 

You've likely heard the saying, “I’m here for a good time, not a long time”?

 

At first glance, it has a feeling of irresponsibility. But “a good time” doesn’t necessarily mean partying every day, living on the edge, and doing crazy stuff (as fun as those things can sometimes be). Reflect on what “a good time” actually means to you. Is a “good time” feeling fulfilled and that life is meaningful, feeling appreciative in each moment, having harmonious relationships, being creative and productive?

 

“Not a long time” - let’s think about those words. We are all acutely aware of how fast time goes! Each year, year by year, time appears to speed up. This perception of time flying by is a hot topic of conversation.

 

THINK ABOUT THIS:

Earth has been here for 4.5 billion years. 

 

We are limited to roughly an 80 year period here, if we’re lucky. 

 

We are here for a micro-moment of all of the eons of time. Our time here is a tiny blip in all of the existence of life on planet earth.

 

Really, truly contemplating this fact puts your worries, frustrations, and fears into proportion. 

 

You can ask yourself,
How much of my microscopic moment here will be an exciting adventure, and how much of it will be a burden?

 

If you’re only here for a short moment and, coupled with that, time is speeding by, isn’t it paramount that you take a look at what you’re doing with your precious time?

 

Although we know we are mortal beings, we live our life as though we will be here forever.

 

How many of your precious, precious days here are wasted lost in a mind that is assailed by negative, stressful, unproductive, or downright destructive thoughts? 

 

Thinking of death brings into perspective the impermanence of life and the insignificance of so many of the things we give our mental energy to. 

 

Thinking of death need not be morbid, the idea of contemplating death can be utterly liberating.

 

The exercise below is a way to keep a visual reminder close by to help you reflect on the preciousness of life each day and each week.