Memento Mori

Memento mori is a Latin phrase. It means, “Remember you will die.” It’s not meant to be grim. It’s meant to remind you that time is limited. That life doesn’t go on forever.

I don’t use it like a strict tool. But sometimes I try to see through it, like a lens. I imagine myself at the end of my life, looking back. Will this thing I’m worrying about still matter? Or I ask: if today were my last, is this how I’d want to be spending it?

Of course, I don’t live like there’s no tomorrow.There probably is. But I try to hold both truths: Maybe I die tomorrow. Maybe I live to 90.

Either way, the time I spend today should move me closer to what matters most.

Memento mori helps me pause and check:

• Am I spending my time well?
• Am I focusing on what matters most to me?

For me, that means being a great dad and husband, building something meaningful, staying healthy, and having time for joy. If my day lines up with even one of those, I’m probably on the right path.

Bottom line:

Life is short, whether it ends soon or much later. So I try to spend it on what actually matters to me. Not perfectly. But with intention.