Memento mori — remember you must die.
It’s not as grim as it sounds. The Latin phrase, rooted in Stoic philosophy, is less about death and more about how we live. A reminder of impermanence that helps sharpen perspective.
This week…two funerals. One for a friend’s mother, where he spoke bravely about the joy she brought to others and the demons she faced along the way. The other, later today, is for a gent in his early fifties — gone far too soon.
Moments like these bring everything into focus. They remind us how quickly it can all change.How the highs and lows of life are part of the same experience.
Stoicism offers us tools for these moments, showing us ways to stay grounded and clear when life feels fragile. I’ve written before about one of them: the “last time” visualisation. When you’re feeling jaded of a routine, or frustrated with a relationship, imagine it’s the last time you’ll ever experience it.
How would you approach it differently?
I’ve found that small shifts like this can bring huge meaning to everyday moments. And I know the leaders I work with find value in this shift in perspective too.
- How you chat with your kids when you pick them up from school.
- A conversation with a friend who has been quiet recently.
- The work you do today.
- The approach you take with the ‘disengaged’ or ‘privileged’ junior colleague who might just be having a harder time than you think.
So, if we all know our time is finite — memento mori — how would you approach this week differently if it were your last?
- What would matter most?
- Who would you cherish more?
- And how might you show up, fully alive, for what’s already here?