Episode #20: Say You'll Seize the Day

Confront the fact that time is fleeting and you won't need to search for external motivation.

On December 31st this year I finished the last entry from a daily reader called The Daily Stoic written by Ryan Holiday and Hansel Man. Everyday during 2021 I read an entry from the book which opens with a quote from a Stoic thinker and then offers a calling to apply that thinking to my day.

The last entry in the book stuck with me in two ways and I wanted to share it with you. The authors write:

“The purpose of all our reading and studying is to aid us in the pursuit of the good life (and death).”

The noticeable element in this quote is that last parenthetical “… (and death)”.

Death is scary, yet, it need not be. What this book, and the other Stoic philosophers I’ve read (Epictetus, Marcus Aurelias, Cicero) have helped me do is sit with feelings of fear surrounding death. Not necessarily always of my own, but those around me—the ones I love.

💀Morbid, right?

If we don’t deny the morbidity we can see there’s more beyond the fear. We can see that addressing the reality that death is a part of all our lives, even for those you love, let’s us see death as simply one element the grand cycle of life. Seeing death as part of life has a profound upswing:

By accepting death head-on as an inevitable part of life, there’s a deeper- irreplaceable- sense of presence when we are with those we love.

I know they’ll go someday, as I will too, but the flip side is that because I’ve sat with this knowledge, life with them is much richer.

Stoicism isn’t all about death (only half!)—it’s also about life—and how once the preciousness and fleetingness of it are recognized in your bones, your muscles, and your senses, your mind can’t help but feel up to the challenge to do, as they say, carpe diem! and seize the day with a powerful sense of purpose.

The lesson here, stoic or not, is to look at endings as a way of bringing value to what’s going on right now.

This is the essence of productive conflict—embracing life’s conflicts skillfully in the moment so that we might notice the opportunity to make something positive and productive from the tension. Stop fighting it, start accepting it, and then you’ll see the way forward.

Next week we’ll get back to some practical business tips based off my dissertation research. See you again next week—but until then—be present with the time you have now!