How fragile life can be?

I love this quote from the philosopher Marcus Aurelius: “What are you afraid of losing, when nothing in this world belongs to you?” The Bible speaks this truth when Job said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart.” To truly appreciate the meaning of this quote, we have to look deeper into why we pursue so many temporary things in this world when, in the end, they won’t matter to us. None of the things we accumulate will go with us at death.

Life can change dramatically at any given moment for any of us. My friend recently had his life suddenly altered when his 4‑year‑old son was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer. In a split second, his normal life was no longer normal as it became filled with hospital visits and watching his little boy battle the pain of this diagnosis.

In moments like this, we realize the fragility of life and how precious each of our moments can be. Life is short, and to pursue material gain and empty success at the expense of time spent loving people, being kind even to strangers, and letting those you love know how much you love them will not be worth it in the end. So today, live your life with this end in mind: What are you afraid of losing when nothing in this world belongs to you?