Part of my particular brand of OCD tendencies veer toward counting. I am a counter. I count stairs every time I go up or down them – seriously. I don’t even mean to. I count camera angles in tv shows. I count turns if I’m playing a game. I count empty seats on a plane. I count cars at a signal. I “count my many blessings and name them one by one…”
Counting served me well as a teacher – I could keep track of students and hallpass abusers and the amount of times I heard the F word in class.
Counting serves me well in baking – often there is precision needed in recipes and I very seldom lose count of what I’m measuring.
And counting serves me well if I’m in a group – I’m constantly counting people to make sure everyone is still together.
Recently I saw an article about counting our weeks in order to live a ‘squander-free’ life.
I, naturally, was interested in the author’s take.
Jodi Wellman says this,
“The practice of memento mori, acting on the Latin phrase that translates to ‘remember we must die,’ has the profound potential to wake us up and breathe more life into our lives.”
Never heard of memento mori? Me, either.
According to Grammarist, “a memento mori is an object or symbolic image [usually a skull] used to remind people of their inevitable death. It is an ancient practice that spans centuries, cultures, and religions and is often tied to iconography and burial practices to remind the living of the passage of time.”
What does this have to do with counting?
Wellman goes on to say that “While focusing on the end of our days may sound more morbid than meaningful, the contemplation of death allows us to appreciate the scarcity of the very time we’re looking to make the most of.”
Scarcity, in this context, can be a good thing!
Shahram Heshmat, Ph. D., gives us two reasons why. 1) It forces trade-off thinking. “We recognize that having one thing means not having something else.” And 2) It prioritizes our choices and can make us more effective! “This is why the pressure of a deadline focuses our attention on using what we have most effectively. When we have little time left, we try to get more out of every moment.”
“When we have little time left, we try to get more out of every moment.”
I’m not sure I’ll be putting a skull on my desk any time soon, but maybe?
“We get roughly 4,000 weeks to live,” Wellman concludes. “Consciously calculating how many weeks we have left … can motivate us to live squander-free lives. Get counting – and living!”
I can’t wait to hear about how you’re counting your weeks to get more out of your every moment – even the simple and quiet ones.
And if you need suggestions on how to do it, I would love to help you “breathe more life into your life.” I’ll buy a skull if you will!
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
PS If you liked this post – or any others, I’d love you to pass it on to a friend. They can subscribe here if they’re interested!
