memento mori
“Memento Mori” means “remember that you have to (must) die.” The phrase and the concept of contemplating it have been around for centuries, although I think Ryan Holiday may have made the reminder popular in modern times.
At least he was the one who introduced me to the phrase. I have an image of a skull, flower, and hourglass from a Memento Mori coin Holiday sold tattooed on my forearm; I got to meet him at a book signing and show him the tattoo which was a cool experience.
“Memento Mori” and its reminder that you are going to die one day is not meant to keep you living in fear of dying; it’s intended to do the opposite. The reminder of your mortality is to help you live more—live your authentic life because, eventually, you will no longer be living.
The reminder is to help you live more today because tomorrow is not certain.
In this week’s episode of LifeDesign+, we’re mastering the art of living our authentic life by talking with Maura McInerney-Rowley. Maura is the founder of Hello, Mortal, a death doula, and an expert on examining death through the lens of living better today—she is in the business of Memento Mori.
The podcast is out on all the podcast players and YouTube. You can also find it below. If you haven’t subscribed to the show or YouTube channel or left a review, I’d greatly appreciate your help in moving the show up the rankings to help more people wake up to living their authentic lives.
