Back in 2023 my uncle passed away.

I remember very vividly how peaceful and present I felt.

All of a sudden nothing really bothered me.

I clearly felt that death is something natural.
Something that will happen to me and to the people close to me sooner or later.

For a moment that awareness was very real.

But after a while it started fading.

Or maybe it simply faded on its own — the same way it appeared in the first place.

And this is something important about life.

We are here only for a moment.

Yet very often we do not really consider it.

We take it for granted that we live.
We assume we will be here tomorrow.

The Stoics had a practice connected to this idea.

They imagined ordinary moments as if they were happening for the last time.

Talking to someone.
Walking outside.
Eating a meal.

Not in a dramatic way.

Just quietly remembering that nothing is guaranteed.

But the point is not becoming ruthless.

It is not about squeezing everything out of every moment.

It is more about taking care.

Being present.

This kind of awareness encourages something simple.

Being grounded.
Being careful.
Being generous with people.

Not rude.

Not selfish.

Not simply acting like a jerk.