I’ve spent my entire life putting work first and my body second. I practically didn’t sleep in high school and college. I cannot afford to do that anymore. And neither can you. Put your health first. If you don’t, you won’t live long enough to get your work done or whatever it is you think is more important. Stop moving, rest, take the day off if you need to.
Tag Archives: mortality
Profit Is Not the Point
The goal is sustainability. We make money to cover our basic needs – food, water and shelter. The great businesses of our time have figured this out, too. Great product comes before profit – because only great product will keep customers coming back for more. We like steady paychecks and loyal patrons because we can sleep at night and know that life will go on.
The goal isn’t to make money; the goal is to exist. Once you’ve figured that part out, the next goal is to exist longer. Once you realize no one lives forever, the ultimate goal is to leave a legacy.
The only way you can leave a legacy is if you concern yourself less with profit and more with giving life all you’ve got. Sure, you should have a plan to make money. But if greatness comes first on your priority list, then have faith that the rest will follow.
Mortal Passion
You could die tomorrow. Probably not. But who knows. Today may be your last. The activities, tasks, and adventures before you may fill your final chapter. Coast through it if you want. Or face it with a mortal passion. Accept every challenge, job, and event as if you will never get the opportunity to do it again. Pour your heart and soul into it. Give it all you’ve got.
If you find the work unworthy of your mortality, you better find something else to do before it’s too late.
Overcoming Fear of Death
When I was twelve years old, I would wake up screaming at night after failing to wrap my head around the notion of mortality. I simply could not process the thought of being dead, the thought of not thinking anymore. As I got older, I discovered three different methods for overcoming fear of death:
- Ignorance. Forget inevitability and have a blast instead. Party the night away.
- Devaluation. See less value in what you have to offer and therefore see less value in your life.
- Faith. Accept the balancing and cyclical dynamics of the universe. Trust that life will level out naturally.
I’ve tried all three. Frankly, method two can go to hell. We all have value; we just need to discover it. And I am not a fan of ignorance, so the first method does not work for me either. If you can live life by the seat of your pants and skip past rational thought, by all means have loads of fun. I just ask too many questions to sit back and play along with you.
It takes bravery to invest in the natural processes of the universe and go with the flow. It is damn near impossible to trust things we cannot explain. But those forces are out there and all around us, whether you want them to be or not. You can either fight them or embrace them.
Live. Love. Laugh. Trust. Share. Learn. Go with the flow.
Craig Ormiston 