In our last few +1s (here and here), we had fun with some wisdom from a Heroic friend of mine as we set up our new batphones to receive calls from our daimons at 212-451-2000.
As you may recall, I shared the fact that I changed the last four digits of my number from “2000” to “2255” as a reminder of my commitment to create FIVE Volumes of Areté—each with 451 Ideas.
Fun fact…
I actually just did the math on when I’ll hit 10,000 Heroic +1s.
This is Heroic +1 #1724. If I did it right, assuming all goes according to plan (insert Heroic gods laughing), we’ll hit 10,000 Heroic +1s in 8,277 days from today—which is Friday, December 7th, 2046.
If I’m alive (always a wise qualifier—Memento Mori, Hero!) I’ll be 72.
How about YOU?
Today I want to chat about some more Memento Mori Stoic wisdom.
Let’s get straight to work.
As you know if you’ve been following along with our work together at Heroic and/or if you’re familiar with Stoic wisdom, one of the primary Stoic practices was remembering their own mortality.
Guys like Seneca, Epictetus, and Marcus Aurelius frequently contemplated their own mortality as a means to appreciate the preciousness of our remarkably brief lives.
So…
Today we’re going to explore another GREAT Stoic practice on the subject.
Let’s open up our Philosopher’s Notes on Breakfast with Seneca to page 5 where we’ll find some powerful wisdom from David Fideler.
He tells us: “One of my favorite Stoic ideas is that everything we have, or believe that we possess, is just ‘on loan’ from the universe. Everything. And one day, all those things will need to be returned.”
That’s Today’s +1.
Your life and my life and everything in our lives?
It’s just “on loan” from the universe.
EVERYTHING.
And…
One day…
Sooner than most of us would like to contemplate, OUR LIVES and ALL THOSE THINGS IN IT will need to be returned.
With that (goosebumps) potent wisdom in mind, let’s not take our lives (and any/everything in it!) for granted.
Rather…
Let’s follow the lead of the wisest among us (and each of us at our wisest moments!) and see our lives (and any/everything in it!) as gifts, generously on loan from a benevolent universe.
And…
Let’s have the humility to know that (goosebumps) (sweaty palms) (heart skip) ALL OF THOSE GIFTS THAT ARE CURRENTLY ON LOAN, WILL NEED TO BE RETURNED much (!) sooner than most of us would like to contemplate.
Then…
Let’s go ALL IN as we activate our Heroic potential and give ourselves, our families, our friends, our colleagues, and our communities and the world all we’ve got.
TODAY.
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