Memento Vivi: A Reminder to Live

Sometimes we need a Memento Vivi because it is critical to remember to live. It is normal to get caught up in this fast-paced lifestyle of being productive at work, building your side hustle, and working towards Financial Independence.

As much as I love those topics, and believe in building towards your ideal life, I think it is important to remember that we are human beings, not robots.

Occasionally, we need to remind ourselves it is okay to take a break and have fun in our lives. That might mean playing a board game with your partner on a Wednesday night instead of working on your side hustle, occasionally going out with friends, or taking that weekend-long vacation even though “that $1,000 would be better invested in the market.”

During life, we need to remember we don’t need to be perfect. Taking time to have a life is just as important as it is to build that better future. It prevents burn-out, reduces stress, and provides life-long memories that you can look back on fondly while hustling at 11 PM on a Tuesday for your side hustle.

So, how do we remind ourselves that we need to live? I got the inspiration for Memento Vivi, from an ancient tradition.

Memento Mori

Memento Mori translates to “remember you to have to die”, and is “an artistic or symbolic reminder of the inevitability of death, often an object that is kept in a room.”

While this initially sounds macabre, traditions have used it for positive benefits.

In classical antiquity, the great philosophers Socrates and Seneca would use a memento mori to remind themselves they were mortal so they should enjoy their community, curb their vices, and do what they can to help those around them.

During the Renaissance, the great painters would take days to paint little skulls in their paintings to remind themselves (and their wealthy patrons) that all time on earth is temporary.

In most religions, there is a sense of the afterlife and where our spirit goes when we die. The Memento Mori has been used to remind people that they should live a life focused on improving themselves and helping others. Helping to ensure their spirit can rest peacefully when they inevitably die.

Reminding yourself that you only have so much time on earth is a beneficial practice to remind yourself to do what you can with your life. Provide the most good to others, work on your life goals, and develop into who you want to be.

However, as good as this practice is – sometimes we need something else.

Memento Vivi

“A reminder to live” is a reminder to live the life you want. This isn’t to say YOLO (you only live once) and be reckless and dumb to “live it up” (which often doesn’t lead to lasting happiness)

A Memento Vivi is a reminder that life isn’t perfect, and you have to enjoy the little things along the way to your bigger goals.

Celebrating the little victories if you will.

For instance, maybe you work on your side hustle late at night most nights. However, at night your partner wants to play a board game with you to relax. The “right” thing to do is to work on your side hustle to better both of your futures. However, by reminding yourself to live – you work on your side hustle six nights a week, you can take one night to live and enjoy the present with your partner.

A Memento Vivi serves as that reminder to find little joys in your everyday life that you might miss in the chaotic schedule of the day and trying to improve yourself in your time-off.

What a Memento Vivi can Encapsulate

Your Memento Vivi should mean something to you that you can defer to. For me, the general characteristics of a Memento Vivi are it reminds me to:

1. Live in the moment

You can choose to work towards the future with your project or take a break to rest a little now. The important part is you choose what you want to do.

2. Take things a little less seriously

Taking yourself, and the work you produce seriously is crucial. However, most work shouldn’t have you sweating bullets or constantly get your stomach in a knot. By reminding yourself to live, you can remind yourself to enjoy your work as well.

3. Remember the future you are building too

You can only wake up at 5:30 AM so many days in a row before you start questioning why you are working on your side hustle. By having a Memento Vivi you can remind yourself (much like a memento mori) that you are living the life you want or are at least building towards it. That can help provide the motivation you need to push through your feelings.

4. Remember to take breaks

On the same token, it is important to take breaks and enjoy the occasional morning or afternoon off. These make the journey to your goal more likely, reduces burnout, and helps you reset.

5. Smile more

This might seem juvenile, but being happy eventually comes down to a choice. You can tense your jaw and barrel through each day. Or you can take the foot off the gas pedal slightly (maybe 3MPH slower) release some tension, and do your best to be positive, and enjoy the day more.

My Memento Vivi’s

For me, I have two. One at each place I usually work in the apartment.

1. A sugar skull with a succulent in it

Dios de Los Muertos is a celebration of death and serves as a reminder to honor those who went before us. This sugar skull reminds me that life can be colorful and full of life if we let it. Also, we need to enjoy the fun memories of those in my community, work, and family.

2. My planted tank

Working on the aquarium is a serene practice, and also one that requires some care-taking and diligence.

It looks peaceful and calm, but just like life, there can be occasional chaos, and there is always something that can be fixed.

I can either focus on trimming the one plant that needs to be taken care of, or I can choose to enjoy the overall beauty of the tank.

Much like life.

How to choose your Memento Vivi

What do you need to remind yourself? I like to remind myself life isn’t perfect and that it’s the little interactions/things each day that make working towards your larger goals worth it.

What would you like more in your life? Maybe it is to smile more, be more disciplined with your goals, or making more time for your family. Pick an object you already have, make one, or buy something cheap that reminds you of what you want more of in your life.

Turn this into your Memento Vivi and place it somewhere where you will see it every day so you remind yourself to live the day to day life that you want.

Main Take-Aways

• Reminding yourself that you only have so much time on earth shouldn’t be sad. It is a powerful motivator to get to living the life you want.
• While working towards that life, remind yourself with your Memento Vivi of the importance of enjoying each day (and making it what you want).

Action Item

What do you want more of every day? Pick an item to remind yourself of that, and place it somewhere where you will see it every day. After a week, reflect. Are you cultivating more of what you wanted?