Stop Being Lame

Today’s Read: 1 minutes, 4 seconds

How do you let go of fear and live unapologetically as yourself?

Fundamentally, it boils down to one big hack: embracing death.

Death is the most important thing that is ever going to happen to you. When you look at your death and you acknowledge it, rather than running away from it, it’ll bring great meaning to your life. We spend so much of our life trying to avoid death. So much of what we struggle for can be classified as a quest for immortality.

If you’re religious, and believe there is an afterlife, then you’ll be taken care of. If you’re not religious, maybe you’ll have kids. If you’re an artist, a painter, or a businessman you want to leave a legacy behind.

Here’s a hot tip: There is no legacy. There’s nothing to leave. We’re all going to be gone. Our children will be gone. Our works will be dust. Our civilizations will be dust. Our planet will be dist. Our solar system will be dust. In the grand scheme of things, the Universe has been around for ten billion years, it’ll be around for another ten billion years.

Your life is a firefly blink in a night. You’re here for such a brief period of time. If you fully acknowledge the futility of what you’re doing, then I think it can bring great happiness and peace because you realize this is a game. But it’s a fun game. All that matters is you experience your reality as you go through life. Why not interpret it in the most positive way?

Any moment where you’re not having a great time when you’re not really happy, you’re not doing anyone any favors. It’s not like your unhappiness makes them better off somehow. All you’re doing is wasting the incredibly small and precious time you have on this Earth. Keeping death on the forefront and not denying it is very important.

Whenever I get caught up in ego battles, I just think of entire civilizations that have come and gone. For example, take the Sumerians. I’m sure they were important people and did great things, but go ahead and name me a single Sumerian. Tell me anything interesting or important Sumerians did that lasted. Nothing.

So maybe ten thousand years from now or a hundred thousand years from now, people will say, “Oh year, Americans. I’ve heard of Americans.”

You’re going to die one day, and none of this is going to matter. So enjoy yourself. Do something positive. Project some love. Make someone happy. Laugh a little bit. Appreciate the moment. And contribute something cool while you’re around.

More on this:

• Carl Sagan’s “Pale Blue Dot”
  A quick clip about how small we are in the grand scheme of the universe. It’s humbling and awe-inspiring.
  Watch here

• Kurzgesagt – “The Egg” by Andy Weir
  This animated short explores life, death, and the idea that we’re all connected. It’s a fresh, mind-expanding take on why none of this matters—but in the best way.
  Watch here

Jacob & The Renewal Crew
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