I’ve been reading this book about the wisdom of stoicism- the ancient philosophy that often gets misunderstood.

One of the points it starts with is this idea of “living life as if it were your last day”.

I used to think this meant be hedonistic and do things that you wouldn’t normally do because of health concerns.

But there’s a different way of looking at it, as pointed out in the book. Instead, think of the idea that life is short, and picture that the things and people around you may be gone tomorrow.

The idea is not to get depressed over it, but rather to appreciate fully what you have right now.

Relating this to athletic achievements, it can help to enjoy what you are doing by imagining the worst possible scenario.

What will you do if you get injured and are sidelined because of it?
How will you mentally deal with not being able to train?
If you have a training group, how will it feel to not see them on rides, runs, and swims if this disappears?

Again, the idea is not to focus on the negative, but to accept that things do happen- injuries & illnesses occur, and death is part of life.

When you can do this, everything becomes a little bit sweeter. I dive in the pool, I may never get to do that again, how amazing is it to dive into water?

You can apply this thinking to all parts of your life, and it helps you appreciate the moments, in addition to not “sweating the small stuff”.

Befriend the water this week!