Principle 21 · from the Enchiridion
Remember you will die
Remembering that life ends can clarify what matters now. Consider which small disputes can wait and which important actions you keep postponing.
Source passage (English)
The passage is shown in English. The explanation and example below are modern interpretations for this site.
Let death and exile, and all other things which appear terrible be daily before your eyes, but chiefly death, and you will never entertain any abject thought, nor too eagerly covet anything.
What this means
Remembering death does not mean dwelling on something grim all day. It is a way of seeing life at a more honest scale. When we forget that time is limited, small problems grow huge and important things keep getting postponed.
Mortality can make our priorities clearer. Some conflicts suddenly look smaller, while a conversation or decision we have delayed starts to feel worth doing now. It can also loosen the urge to impress everyone or collect more as though enough possessions could protect us from an ending.
Use the reminder to choose a priority you can act on, rather than to demand that you make every day extraordinary. Rest and ordinary responsibilities can be worthwhile uses of limited time too. If a dispute involves ongoing harm, remembering mortality does not require reconciliation or giving up a necessary boundary.
An everyday example
You are stuck in a long conflict with a sibling over something small. Every day, you replay the same argument in your head.
Ask, "If one of us were gone first, would this still matter this much?" You may still need to address the issue, but perhaps with less ego and a different tone.
Reflection Question
If you truly remembered that your time is limited, what would feel less important, and what would you want to do sooner?