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December 2nd

DON’T MIND ME, I’M ONLY DYING SLOW

“Let each thing you would do, say or intend be like that of a dying

person.”

—MARCUS AURELIUS, MEDITATIONS, 2.11.1

ave you ever heard some ask: “What would you do if you found out
tomorrow that you had cancer?” The question is designed to make you
consider how different life might be if you were suddenly given just a few
months or weeks to live. There’s nothing like a terminal illness to wake
people up.
But here’s the thing: you already have a terminal diagnosis. We all do!
As the writer Edmund Wilson put it, “Death is one prophecy that never
fails.” Every person is born with a death sentence. Each second that passes
by is one you’ll never get back.
Once you realize this, it will have a profound impact on what you do,
say, and think. Don’t let another day tick away in ignorance of the reality
that you’re a dying person. We all are. Can today be the day we stop
pretending otherwise?