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It’s Later Than You Think

The “Cult of Hustle” tells you to race through life.
“Hollow Wellness” tells you to escape it.
But the saints taught something modern people avoid: awareness of death is not fear. It is clarity.

I learned this as a teenager in a way I will never forget.

When death stopped feeling far away

Growing up, I assumed I had my whole life ahead of me. Most teenagers do. Life felt long. Tomorrow felt guaranteed. I lived unfocused, rushed, and distracted. I took time for granted.

Then a childhood friend died. We grew up together. We played video games at each other’s houses. We talked about our dreams. And then, as teenagers, he was killed. In the inner city, dying young was not rare. It was often the pattern.

His death changed me. I began to understand my mortality in a new way. It created a longing for clarity and purpose. I realized youth does not protect you from the truth of life’s limits. That moment planted a seed. A sense that time was precious. A sense that life is fragile.

Today, at forty-six, I am fully aware that tomorrow is not promised. Many people I thought would grow old with me are gone. That reality shapes everything. I guard my purpose like a treasure. I am kinder to the people I meet, because I do not know if I will see them again. I spend more time with God. I try to stay faithful to the assignment He has given me, because I know the clock is always moving.

Death-awareness did not make me fearful. It made me focused.

Scripture points us to holy awareness

Psalm 90:12 — “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”

Wisdom begins when we stop pretending life is endless.
When time becomes precious, attention becomes pure.

The saints practiced memento mori

From the Desert Fathers to St. Benedict, the Church has always seen death-awareness as spiritual fuel.

St. Isaac the Syrian wrote, “Prepare your heart for departure every day, and you will live a life without sin.”

They did not use death to create fear.
They used death to refine life.

Science says mortality awareness sharpens focus

Behavioral psychology shows that reflecting on life’s finiteness increases:

• gratitude
• purpose
• long-term thinking
• generosity
• alignment with core values

It does not create despair.
It creates clarity.

A simple practice of daily clarity

• Whisper each morning: “My time is a gift.”
• Choose one priority that truly matters: faith, family, health, calling.
• Release one distraction that steals your attention.

Why this matters for professionals

Busyness hides the truth.
The “Cult of Hustle” distracts people with urgency.
“Hollow Wellness” distracts people with comfort.

Blue Church Living calls you back to reality, to the preciousness of your soul and the shortness of your days.

Death awareness is not morbid. It is motivating.
It turns noise into nothing and purpose into fuel.
It brings your life into focus right now.

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