Living with Intention: Lessons on The Brevity of Life
What if you only had 3 more years to live?
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How would you change your life today if I told you that in 3 years, you would die? That’s a good thought experiment if you want to live your life with intention.
3 years is enough to take your time to make a change so you don’t have to go all out yolo. But it’s also not that long.
Look, life is short. We all know it. And yet, we get stuck in the mundanity. We do the same thing day in and day out.
We hardly ever think, “I won’t live forever.”
Sometimes we read a really prolific book that makes us think. Maybe it’s Man’s Search For Meaning or On The Shortness of Life.
Those books can change the way you view the world… But often, that effect wanes.
A few weeks later, we forget we even read the book and just fall back into our normal routines.
To avoid that, make it a habit to meditate on the impermanent nature of life. Here are some of the lessons I’ve learned.
1 | Approach life with curiosity, not fear
When we are curious about what’s happening around us, we start to see things differently and embrace different perspectives.
Instead of always thinking about the limitations and dangers of doing something, think about the good things.
That doesn’t mean you have to be careless. Still, go through life with common sense and healthy caution. Just stay curious about new things.
Learn new skills, move to different places, create art, start a business, read different types of books, meet new people, or anything else that’s new to you.
2 | Solitude is strength
Silence can be used as a means of introspection, to become aware of our thoughts and feelings and improve our self-awareness.
A lot of people can’t be alone for more than an hour. They start getting agitated. “Who can I call?”
How about yourself? Make solitude your friend. That’s a bit like a superpower. You will never be needy or alone. You have you.