“As Is A Tale, So Is Life: Not How Long It Is, But How Good It Is, Is What Matters”

This quote from Seneca is pretty self explanatory. Getting the most out of your life, rather than just living for a long time is what matters. Getting the most out of it while living a shorter life is better than not getting as much while living a longer life. It is a call to not bide your time. Take life by the scruff of the neck.

Of course, this doesn’t mean one should be reckless and always live life on the edge. Being measured and patient will work wonders for you later in life. Making prudent and responsible decisions are themselves key to having a good life. But don’t let that take away from you ever doing things you enjoy.

Life is a fascinating thing. It can end at any tragic or random moment. It can go on for seemingly forever. You can go large swathes of life bored. You can go through large swathes of life exhausted. Happiness and sadness can quickly change places in your life.

Through the seeming randomness in life, along with its tribulations, you have to find a reference point for how you are going to get the most out of it. It is always a balance. But doing things to prolong life just to prolong it, without any specific enjoyment you get out of it, is not advisable.

Think about if you are lucky enough to live an extremely long life. When you are about to go, and look back at your life, how do you want to remember it? You don’t want to remember not taking the chance that could have led to something great. You don’t want to look back at wasted time.

Of course, you also don’t want to look back at bad decisions that ruined your life. But you do want to look back at the moments that made life enjoyable, made life worth living. In that spirit, remember that quality is much more important than longevity, in life.