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It seems a little morbid at first.
But try thinking about death, and the true meaning of life. Do you want to just exist? Or do you want to live a meaningful life?
The only way to really do that is by doing what you love, fully and without reservation because someday it might be too late. It might be too late for something amazing to happen or for you to get that promotion at work or even just go on another date with that cute barista. All of these little things could be snatched away in an instant, never to resurface again.
So anytime you have a choice between something and nothing, pick the latter.
But that’s not the only reason to live life fully and without reservation. Life is short, there’s no use in wasting time on trivial things that don’t matter, like going to work or watching TV all day long. Life should be spent doing what you love, living your passions and showing others how passionate you are about them.
How to think about death productively
According to the Stoics, the ideal state of being is one where we are always in control of ourselves, accepting good things as they come to us and keeping them, and staying away from bad things. This is impossible for most people because it would require that…
