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You May Die

You, whoever you may be, might die. Any moment now. You could just suddenly die of some cause that you will never know about. You will not know about it because you will be dead.

I am not saying you are probably going to die, or even that it is remotely likely that you will die. That does not mean that you will not. It is always a possibility. It does happen. Not often, but it does.

I am not saying anything here that you do not already know. Most people know that they may die at any moment. The thing that I have trouble with is that most people do not realize that they may die at any moment. There is a subtle but important distinction there.

I think it is a good idea to take a moment to realize the brutal fact that you may die at any given time. As uncomfortable as it may be, it is good to think about the implications of that fact. Have you been doing with your life the things you want to be doing with it? Have you been working toward the betterment of yourself, your family, your friends, your society, your species? Have you been enjoying your relatively short amount of consciousness?

I know it is cliche to say that you should live every day as if it were your last. That does not mean that it is a bad idea, so I am saying it anyway. Think about the effect you have on others. Think about the effect you have on the progress of our world. The things that you have done to affect others long after you are gone. It does not really matter whether or not you will get 'credit' for those things, you still affect them. Do not forget to be a bit selfish and think about the good you do for yourself too. Think about your life as a whole sometimes along with the moment. It is good for you.

Carpe diem.
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