Eckhart Tolle explains how remembering death clarifies what matters. Medieval artists painted skulls as reminders, a practice called memento mori. Keeping mortality in mind, he argues, makes you more present and helps you live meaningfully.
People in this world say, oh, don't think about death, it'll come anyway, you don't make yourself miserable, don't think about it. I don't think that is the best solution. The fact that you as this physical form are impermanent is very important. They knew that in ancient times, and if you look at old medieval paintings, European medieval paintings, they have often people in a room On the desk, on the table, on the windowsill, you see a human skull. And that many people had that at the time. It was called memento mori, the memory of death. In other words, remember that you are mortal.
Why alcohol feels like relief, and what it is really giving you | Eckhart Tolle
