Saturday Contemplation - Why We Contemplate Death

This week’s Saturday Contemplation looks at the heart of this entire project. Why we even choose to think about death in the first place.

It’s not about fear or morbidity. It’s about presence. When we turn toward death instead of away from it, life starts to look and feel different. The ordinary becomes sacred. The temporary becomes meaningful. And we remember what it really means to be alive.

Normally, this would be a bonus episode exclusively for WWDT+ members but it felt important to share the contemplation on “Why We Contemplate Death” with everyone. Honestly, it probably should’ve been the first one, but here we are.

The first contemplation of every month is free for everyone. All others are available exclusively to WWDT+ members — a weekly practice designed to help you slow down, reflect on your mortality, and reconnect with what gives your life meaning.

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome And Intentions
• 0:28 Why We Contemplate Death
• 1:54 Distraction And The Veil Lifting
• 3:13 Impermanence As Clarity
• 4:16 From Noise To What Matters
• 5:23 Practice Of Remembering
• 6:42 Holding Life With Reverence
• 7:24 Closing Reflection And Invitation

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:00

Welcome back, or welcome here if this is your first time. Normally, these non-first Saturday contemplations are reserved for When We Died Talks Plus members, but this one felt important to share with everyone. Consider it an early Thanksgiving gift, a small way of saying thank you for being part of this project, for listening, for reflecting, for showing up each week to sit with these questions. This week our theme is why we contemplate death. We don't do it to be morbid. We do it to remember we're alive. So, wherever you are, take a deep breath in and slowly let it out. Feel your body settle. Notice the weight of your hands, the ground beneath you, the quiet pulse of your heart. Most of us spend our lives trying not to think about death. We distract ourselves with busyness, scrolling, planning, accumulating things. As if more of anything could make us forget that everything ends. And for a while, it works. Life hums along. Deadlines and grocery lists fill the silence until something interrupts the rhythm. A diagnosis, a loss, a close call. Then suddenly the veil lifts. And what we've been avoiding comes rushing back. This can all go away. Not someday, but any day. When we ignore death, we don't escape it. We just fall asleep to life. We move through our days half awake, always waiting for something else. The next milestone. The better version of ourselves. The next moment that will finally feel like enough. We tell ourselves that meaning will appear once things settle down. But later is a mirage. By the time we get there, it's already turned into now. Facing death even for a moment changes how we see everything. It's not about fear, it's about clarity. When you really let the truth of impermanence sink in, the edges of the world sharpen. The light looks different. The air feels fresher. You start noticing things that were always there, but somehow hidden in plain sight. The smell of your coffee in the morning, the warmth of sunlight, the sound of your partner's laugh, the quiet relief of slipping into bed after a long day. All of it, ordinary, fleeting, and completely miraculous. Contemplating death turns life into something luminous. It reminds us that this, the messy, imperfect, beautiful chaos of being alive, is temporary. And because it's temporary, it's precious. When you really feel that, you start caring less about what doesn't matter. The grudges, the comparisons, the endless striving to prove something. You start seeing that so much of what we chase is just noise. And what actually matters is surprisingly simple. Connection, kindness, moments of quiet joy. A feeling of purpose, however small. Death teaches us how to live. Not someday, but right now. This isn't something we think about once and move on from. It's a practice to return again and again to the truth that everything ends. And to let that truth soften us, not harden us. That's why we do this together every Saturday. To pause, to remember, to wake ourselves up from the trance of later. Because the more we practice remembering death, the more alive we become. You start noticing the way your heart beats a little faster when you're excited. The way someone's voice cracks when they say goodbye. The way time stretches and collapses in moments of love or grief. Each breath, each day, each connection, temporary. And that's what makes it beautiful. When you understand that you can't hold on forever, you start holding things differently. Looser, kinder, with more reverence. You let people know you love them, not just out of habit, but because you might not get another chance. You forgive, you slow down, you start to see the wonder in the ordinary, and you realize contemplating death isn't about being dark. It's about being awake. Now, let's take a moment here to consider all of that. Take another slow breath in and let it out. Notice what's around you right now. The light, the sound, the feeling of being alive. That's why we do this. To remember that everything we love is temporary and therefore sacred. Thank you for listening and for being a part of this practice. Saturday contemplations are a weekly way to pause, to sit with the reality of death, and to notice how it shapes the way we live. If you'd like to receive these every week, you can join When We Die Talks Plus for access to all Saturday contemplations and early Monday episode releases. Until next time, have a good life.