Two Ancient Notions That Helped Pull Me From the Depths
The summer of 2020 was rough for a lot of people...
...for a lot of different reasons. It was rough for me because I was experiencing levels of health anxiety only matched by the week before I received a positive cancer diagnosis in 2017.
This was different, though.
Was I displaying any physical symptoms? Eh, probably not. Then what was the source of the anxiety? For those who have experienced bouts of anxiety, you know that you don't need a reason. In fact, most of us pray for a source of our torment so that we can know what the hell to fix. The worst anxiety often makes the least sense.
But I did find something that turned it all around—two ancient notions that have been helping people like me for thousands of years. But these require additional context.
Anxiety is a lying snake.
Impending doom continued to swirl around my perception of how I was doing inside. These feelings were briefly alleviated by trips to my doctor. He would immediately tell me that nothing was wrong. In fact, that I was in better health than I had been since my teenage years. I would ride this high of relief for a few weeks only for the feelings of anxiety and dread to slither back into my life.
My health anxiety would crack fever pitches just before surveillance appointments—routine follow-up scans with my urologist following my cancer treatment in 2017. This bubbling dread leading up to scans is what is known as “scanxiety” in the cancer community.
He'd usually just walk into the examination room, tell me how the scans showed nothing abnormal, and remind me that I hadn't displayed any signs of cancer in several years.
A few months later, the dread would reappear—like Ol’ Pap Finn back in town, looking for his Huckleberry to knock around. Rinse and repeat.
But that was all about to change.
One morning in early spring 2021, the dread slithered up my spine and sat atop my shoulder as I examined my appearance in the bathroom mirror. With it’s split tongue tickling every consonant, it whispered—
"You're going to die soon."
Taking a deep breath and realizing it was [only] the anxiety talking—something meditation had made me hip to—I let a deep exhale flap my lips in cheeky facetious exasperation as I let out my reply.
"Well, if that's the case, I better make this summer count,” chuckling to myself, scoffing off the serpent's lies as I dried my hands and walked out of the bathroom.
I didn’t know it at the time but something shifted inside. That serpent, who thrived on my fear and dread, was defanged.
Did I truly believe that I was going to die soon? No—it was just another lie my mind was trying to get me to believe.
But I started living as though it were true.
I made an extra effort to spend time with people I cared about —sometimes seeking out old friends who had slipped through life’s cracks.
I became more conscious of what foods, habits, and activities made me feel my best and made a point to fill my life with them.
I sought out moments of peace.
I made conscious efforts to be more present in everything I did—especially while spending time with loved ones.
And yes, this was around the time I quit social media—an activity I've mostly replaced with more pleasure-reading than I had done in my entire life. Thanks, John Grisham.
With these activities and the mental residue that accompanied them, my dread was rendered powerless. The whispered lies grew increasingly faint and manageable. Ease and contentment snuck their way back into my life reminiscent of childhood.
There's no doubt that these activities aided in managing my mood and anxiety levels. Still, I attribute much of this relief to the combination of two philosophical pillars of Stoicism I had learned about years prior but had begun inadvertently practicing—amor fati and memento mori.
Amor Fati
We have little control over what happens to us in life. And how boring would life be if we could? Without a little uncertainty, you may not have ever met your spouse or discovered your passion.
Amori fati literally means a love of one’s fate—whatever that happens to be. Even if it sucks. Because ultimately it will teach you something or play a role in helping you become the person you were meant to be just as it had up to this point. Fighting fate is a losing battle, so you might as well fall in love with it.
Memento Mori
Speaking of fate, you’re going to die.
“Yeah, but not for a while.”
Says who? You could die in a few months. Next week. Tomorrow.
Instead of letting this idea burden your thoughts, use it to bring clarity to your life. When tomorrow is not promised, this notion should make your next meal delicious, every sunset spectacular, and moments with those close to you an extravagant privilege. The governor just gave you a stay of execution—what are you going to do with it before he changes his mind?
Memento mori means “remembrance of death” — which is actually a remembrance of life.
Death is inevitable and thus a silly fear. The true fear is never having truly lived.
Still, it is important to remember that yes, you’re going to die. But there’s nothing wrong with that. Simply make sure you’re squeezing the juice out of life and not leaving any meat on the bone.
These notions may not click for you or change your life right now or even in the near future. That’s ok. But they’re planted. If you’re like me, your subconscious may need to chew on them for a few years before they “turn on.” My prayer is that one day, your mind finds use for them when you most need them.