‘Memento mori’. Remember that you must die.
You might be thinking, what a morbid way to start a Sunday morning. Death is a topic that is often avoided; our mortality is a taboo, because our minds are not designed to contemplate our own fragility and the ephemeral nature of our existence, on a regular basis. We would spend our days petrified into inaction by the fear of not existing if we thought about it on the regular.
There’s a story from the ancient Roman times: when a victorious general returned from war, the streets echoing with the chants of his name, there would be a person assigned with one simple task – to whisper “Memento Mori” in his ears from time to time. To bring him back down to earth and to make him focus on what’s really true and what’s really important. Similar practices existed in Greek and Buddhist tradition.
When we were (are) faced with the very real threat of the Covid19 pandemic, we became painfully cognizant of ‘memento mori’. It made us question our priorities, seek more closeness with our loved ones, and change our actions. We paused and reflected, like the Roman general, and it helped us become less worried about the trivialities of life. It crystallised in our minds what was important, it made us more resilient to short term inconveniences and made us focus on impact.
When we step out of this pandemic, when life resumes in full swing (whenever that is), it might not be a bad idea to revisit ‘Memento mori’ every day. Death is not only the great leveler, it is also a great reminder to be mindful and purpose-led.
Deadlines (pardon the pun) drive focus, action and impact.