About

“Mementom” – is an abbreviation of the Latin phrase: “Memento mori – remember you will die,” and this website was designed not to depress you but rather to inspire and motivate you – giving you daily clarity with reminders of what’s truly important and as a prompt to treat each day as a gift.

The idea that you’re going to die and that “life is short” is only depressing if you think it is wrong. If you’re thinking about it right, it should give you a massive sense of priority and instantly put things in your life into perspective. It can even give you a sense of meaning & purpose for every day you’re alive. That’s what Mementom is about.

The shortness of life is to be celebrated, remarked Seneca: as it reminds us to live truly.

This Stoic philosopher is just one individual from an impressive array of men and women, present and past, who have argued that consistent reflection of “memento mori” is invaluable in life. For example, Cicely Sanders, the founder of the hospice movement, argued: “We do best in life if we look at it with clear eyes.” I believe that Mementom is one of the best ways to bring about virtues such as gratitude, being truly “present”, and helping us make decisions that deeply affect our lives – virtues and acts that will be mentioned in our eulogy as opposed to that which goes on our resume.

This is the aim of the Mementom movement. Helping you, every hour or every day, appreciate more of life and get more done of what matters.

Mementom.com contains the learnings & tools I’ve gained and noticed during own my “memento mori” journey over the past 4 years, in the hope that the simple daily focus of Mementom will spur you too to squeeze so much more meaning from the short time that we all have been given.

We understand on a logical basis that our time is finite. However, the way that most of us live is contradictory to that. We waste years at jobs we hate, stay with people we’re not happy to be with, and overall accept situations that don’t make us feel completely fulfilled.

I’ve created Mementom to remind you regularly that time is your most precious resource. You only have so long to live, which will help you live in a way that will leave you with no regrets.

In our age of increasing distractions, it’s more important than ever to find ways to maintain perspective and remember that life is brief and tender. I believe that thinking about death immediately clarifies your life. And you can do that every day, not just every time you attend a funeral.

I promise if read purposely, the posts I share here will bring about more life-learning and personal insights than much of the pop psychology culture in current reading material today.

It starts with thinking of yourself as almost dead, then taking your time and using it properly.

Memento Mori my friend,

Daniel C. Shaw

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