As you may know, I love a good quote. As you may not know, I’m also a History geek (and trained History teacher.) So you can imagine my delight as I share today’s quote, based on the Medieval Christian practice of reflecting on mortality. Bonus: it’s in Latin… so knowing this and saying it will instantly make you feel intellectually superior to most of the human race. Here it is:
‘Momento Mori’ – Roughly translated, this means ‘remember, you must die.’
We all know that we’re going to die at some point. It’s inevitable. But how often do we actually really think about this? Moreover, how often do we use this to influence the choices that we make; the things we do or don’t do? Too often, it takes a near-death experience or an end-of-life reflection to inspire someone to take action and live the life that they want to live. At this point, many have racked up a long list of regrets.
So while it certainly wouldn’t be helpful to spend each day brooding over the fact that death is inevitable, reflecting on this fact, particularly in times of challenge, could actually be pretty inspiring. Picture the scene: you’re about to speak in front of hundreds of people/ride a rollercoaster for the first time/ask someone out on a date… and your brain, desperate to protect you, is doing all it can to get you to back out of this threat situation. Momento Mori is a great reminder that sometimes you need to step-up bravely and face a challenge head-on, knowing that you could be dead tomorrow.
It’s a choice to approach every frightening act on your ‘to do’ list, with the mentality that each day on Earth has the potential to be your last.
It’s action over inaction.
It’s trying over not trying, and regret.
Did you enjoy this quote? Does using Latin also make you feel ‘brainy’? Does using the word brainy disqualify me from being an intellectual? Thoughts and comments welcome:
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