The Man Who Accepts Death Is Paradoxically Most Alive
What if Embracing Death Made You Truly Alive?
Before I get into the main talking points of the article, I want to make this abundantly clear:
This article is not about wanting to die. Let me repeat that — this article is not about wanting to die.
In fact, it’s quite the opposite.
Because once you truly come to terms with the fact that your time on this planet is limited and that it’s actually quite short — you could say you start living more fully.
And at some point in your life, you’ve probably heard the acronym YOLO. Which stands for “You Only Live Once.”
The whole idea behind it is to encourage people to live life to the fullest and to take calculated risks.
And that’s exactly what I’m going to be talking about today.
#1 Making Peace With Death Helps You Live In the Present Moment
It is often said that if somebody is depressed, they’re living in the past; if somebody is anxious, they’re living in the future; and if somebody is at peace, they’re living in the present.
Of course, this doesn’t apply to every single person.
Mental health isn’t that black and white — it’s far more complicated than that. But there is an element of truth to the saying.
Once you truly come to terms with the fact that one day you are going to die, you could say you start letting things go more easily.
Because at the end of the day, you can’t change the past — what has happened has happened, and there’s nothing you can do about it.
As for the future, it hasn’t even happened yet, so there’s no point in hyper-focusing on it.
The only thing you truly have is the present moment.
So it just makes sense to take each day as it comes.
And this isn’t me suggesting you should live a fast, reckless life because you don’t know when your time is up — far from it.
I’m saying that since the present is all you have, you should enjoy it, while still being sensible and responsible.
#2 Making Peace With Death Can Loosen Fear’s Grip, but It Doesn’t Erase It Entirely
This really ties in with the first point, because a lot of people don’t take action because they’re low-key scared.
But here’s the thing:
If there’s no risk, there’s no reward.
The way I see it, there’s risk in everything.
For example, I could burn my hand making a cup of coffee. I could slip in the shower and snap my neck. I could finish writing this article, step outside, and get hit by a bus.
Do you see what I mean?
There are risks in literally everything we do.
Again i want to make this abundantly clear:
I’m not for one second suggesting that you to go out and do stupid things that genuinely put your life at risk.
NOT AT ALL…
Common sense still applies.
What I am saying is that once you come to terms with the fact that one day you will die, you could say you start becoming much more willing to take calculated risks.
Examples might include:
Stepping out of your comfort zone to go travelling, putting yourself out there by recording a few YouTube videos or approaching that girl you like and striking up a conversation.
You get the idea.
#3 Making Peace With Death Can Change How You Value Time
I’d honestly go as far as to say that time is more valuable than money — and it will always be that way.
Let me tell you why.
Unlike money, time is a truly finite resource. Money is essentially unlimited. If you lose it, you can almost always get it back.
I read somewhere that the average millionaire in America goes bankrupt three times.
That’s telling.
With time, though, you never get it back.
Every second, every minute, every hour, every day, every week, every month, every year, every decade — once it’s gone, it’s gone for good.
No amount of money can ever buy that time back.
It all circles back to the YOLO acronym: You Only Live Once.
Time is precious.
#4 Making Peace With Death Can Loosen the Grip of External Pressures
A lot of people and I’m including myself here, because I’ve been guilty of this too — and that is tying my self-esteem and self-worth to things outside of myself.
Some common examples are:
How many women you’ve slept with, how much money you have in the bank, the car you drive, the house you live in, six-pack abs, or the number of social media followers you have.
A lot of us use these things to measure how successful we are.
But here’s the truth:
You take none of these things with you to the grave.
Your car, your house, your followers etc. They all stay here.
Whether you’re on this planet or not, the world just continues spinning.
And this isn’t me telling you to become a tree-hugging hippie and abandon all external pursuits because “it’s all bullshit.” I’m not saying that at all.
What I am saying is:
Don’t become a slave to these things. Don’t tie your self-esteem and self-worth to these things, because you can’t take them with you when you die.
So build things. Create art. Chase excellence. Enjoy nice experiences.
But do it because it genuinely lights you up — not because you’re secretly hoping it will finally make you feel “enough.”
#5 Making Peace With Death Can Deepen How We Connect With Others
If you search the internet, you’ll probably come across many accounts of people saying that it was only after having a near-death experience that they were truly able to forge deeper bonds with their loved ones.
You could say they became more easy-going, more accepting, and more loving.
Petty arguments and ego-driven games lost their power because, in the grand scheme of things, they simply don’t matter.
Look it isn’t death that is the opposite of life — it’s the denial of death that is.
You’re only on this planet for a short time, so make the most of it.