If Not Now, Then When?

We're all half-buried.

One of the tenets of Stoic philosophy is the memento mori, that is a symbol or reminder that we're all going to die. This reality has become much more apparent in the past several months as we've faced the crashing waves of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Stoics practiced reminding themselves of memento mori often. During the coronation ceremonies of Roman emperors, a servant would ride on the platform that was carrying the newly crowned leader whispering in his ear that he was no so great that someone else couldn’t take his throne.

Ryan Holiday, the modern-day Stoic philosopher-king takes this lesson to heart as he carries with him each day a memento mori in the form of a minted coin in his pocket.

If you've ever tuned into my Dream Goals playlist on Spotify, you'll notice a lot of affirmatory statements, sometimes rough around the edges, in the songs that I have selected for that motivation-boosting playlist. One artist who holds the top placing for most songs on that playlist is Rob Bailey. While most of the songs from his past albums are formed around positive internal affirmations, his latest album, Over Everything, which released today is his first solo album and consists of the metal music he has dreamed of creating since becoming a musician.

In the song Now, the lyrics ring true now more than ever:

"If not now then when?

If not now then never.

We're all half-buried.

Almost underground.

We're all half-buried.

Our time is running out."

- Now, Kill ROB Bailey

We can see this as morbid and fear-inducing but what if instead, you consider how this statement can serve you positively?

It has become a wide-spread meme that all those things we said we were going to do are still undone despite months of quarantine in which many people have more time on their hands than they know what to do with.

Of course, people are sick, depressed, and anxious during this time of uncertainty. Maybe you feel this way. But we have to remember our time is running out.

Take things day by day and do one small, positive thing each day.

• Reach out to uplift one person in your tribe.

• Get outside for a walk or do a 15-minute workout.

• Cross one easy task off your to-do list.

• Take action.