According To Wes

If Death Clarifies, What Will You Do Now

• Wes • Episode 20

Share episode

First, we dismantle the illusion of “later.” Procrastination thrives on the myth of endless tomorrows, so we show how to ground yourself in the present with small, meaningful actions that actually move your life. Then we turn to mortality as a filter, not a fear trigger. When you accept that time is finite, petty arguments, chasing approval, and shallow distractions lose their grip. You start to ask better questions about how you spend an irreplaceable day and where courage beats comfort.


Wes:

Welcome to the According to Wes Podcast, the podcast that explores the timeless wisdom that helps us navigate the challenges of our modern world. I'm your host Wes, and today we're diving into a powerful three-part quote from the Roman Emperor and philosopher Marcus Aurelius. Do not act as if you were going to live ten thousand years. Death hangs over you. While you live, while it's in your power, be good. You shouldn't take this quote as morbid or depressing. It's an urgent call to action and a culture that often encourages us to put things off, to pursue fleeting distractions, and to live as we have endless time. Marcus Aurelius offers a radical and liberating alternative. He reminds us that our time is finite and that the only thing of true value is how we choose to spend it. So, as always, let's unpack this powerful statement and discover why understanding our own mortality is the most powerful catalyst for a good life. The first part of the quote, do not act as if you were going to live 10,000 years, is a direct and powerful condemnation of procrastination and short-sightedness. It challenges the false sense of immortality that we often carry with us. Especially in our youth, we tell ourselves things like, I'll start that new project tomorrow, I'll make things right with that person next week. I'll get my life in order when I have more time. I'll play more Grand Death Auto. This kind of thinking is a dangerous illusion. Every moment we delay a difficult conversation, every day we put off a meaningful pursuit is a moment lost forever. We act as if we have an endless supply of tomorrow, but the truth is we only have this moment. The antidote to this procrastination is to embrace the urgency of the present. This isn't about rushing into things without thought. It's about recognizing that the time for meaningful action is always now. It's about treating every day, every conversation, every decision as if it's the most important one. Because, in a way, it is. Why? Because you truly internalize the fact that death is a constant presence. The things that often consume our energy suddenly lose their power. Petty arguments. Do they really matter if you could be gone tomorrow? Worrying about what others think? Is it worth sacrificing your peace for a few moments of approval? And chasing fleeting pleasures. Are they truly a good use of your limited time? The reality of death acts as a filter. It strips away the trivial and reveals what is truly important. It clarifies our priorities and gives us a deep sense of gratitude for the time we do have. It frees us from the fear of failure and the fear of social judgment. After all, if the end is the same for everyone, what really matters is how we live in the meantime. Now, the last part of the quote, while you live, while it's in your power, be good, is more or less a call of action. It's saying that our time here, no matter how long, is our only opportunity to act with virtue. It's not telling us to live a self-indulgence or to chase fame and fortune type of lifestyle. He's just telling us to be good. And what does good or be good mean in this context? For one, I would like it to believe, I would like to believe it means having integrity, being honest, and acting with moral courage, even when it's difficult, having compassion, treating each person you meet with kindness and empathy, recognizing our shared humanity, seeking wisdom, pursuing truth, being open to correction, and making rational, key, rational, well-reasoned decisions, and having a sense of justice, striving to act fairly and contribute to the greater good of your community. The most important phrase of the third part of the quote, while it's in your power, is the most profound. Our ability to be good is not something we should take for granted. It is in our power right now, while we are alive and have our faculties. Or after we are gone. Because something's gonna come up, and you're procrastinating, you're playing 2K, and you should be outside trimming the bushes. I'd say trimming the bushes in jest, but it's stuff like that. Like, I don't have all the time in the world. And that's kind of what prompted me to uh start this journey of trying to uh better myself by uh, you know, reaching back in time and saying what the uh the ancient philosophers have said about uh the human experience. When we put all three parts of this quote together, we get a complete philosophy for living. It's a reminder to embrace urgency, accept mortality, and choose virtue. Embracing urgency, of course, just stop procrastinating and act now, like easier said than done. It's usually easier said than done for me, but when I when I see myself procrastinating or I'm putting off I'm not delaying gratification, and I think back to times where I truly fucked myself by not getting stuff done that was way more important than me playing 2K. Um I get up and do what I need to do. And one thing I haven't been doing is using the reality of death as a motivator. Yeah, I have used it as a fear, a source of fear, to the point where you know I'd start worrying and I'd start worrying about other things in my life and not actually trying to fix them. And that's where the uh the uh the accepting the my own mortality comes from. And that's something I haven't been doing once I start to do that, once I start to practice that, and I will practice that, uh, I'm sure. You know, super ambitious, as I said it before. That's that's that's me. It's gonna come back. And something that I strive to do all the time, as far as like me choosing virtue, uh every not all the time, but often I do focus my my limited time and energy on being a good person. When it's all said and done, I don't want to be seen as a uh, Lord willing, I make it to a very, very old age. I don't want to be seen as an old curmudgeon uh asshole or any of those things. I want to be known for the uh mainly the wisdom that I provided people, the insight, the laughs, you know, the joy. Still working on the joy part, but just being loved, you know what I mean? And not necessarily by uh outsiders outside of my circle, like my family and my close friends, but just being loved by them. Those are the ones that care and will remember, and maybe make my mark on the world and people respect and love me for what I provided the world. I don't know what that'll be. Maybe my child becomes the next president, I don't know, but you know, just something that comes from me, you know what I mean. This quote is a powerful antidote to the anxiety and distraction of modern life, it tells us to stop worrying about what we can't control and to focus on the one thing that truly matters and is always within our power, which is our character. By living with this awareness, our lives are not just longer, they are more meaningful, more powerful, and more aligned with our deepest values. Thank you for joining me on the According to West Podcast. And until next time, may you find the strength to live as if today were your last and to be good while it's in your power.