Is it too late to say Happy New Year? I know on the tv show Curb Your Enthusiasm, Larry David had a statute of limitations on using the phrase “Happy New Year.” This year, the cut-off day was Tuesday, January seventh. But, since the new year still feels fresh to me, I’m going to buck that rule by wishing you a happy and healthy 2025! I’d also like you to consider:
What if this was the last year you had to live?
It may be seem like an odd question to ponder, but bear with me. It comes from Sam Harris and his New Years Message on the Waking Up app. You see, Harris has announced that he’s going to pretend 2025 is the last year he will be on this earth. And if that sounds crazy to you, you should know the thinking behind this idea.
Harris wants to be absolutely sure that he’s not taking anything for granted. He wants to appreciate every moment he has with his children. He wants to be fully present to the people and events that make up his life. And one way to do this is to imagine that each day is the last one of its kind. Ever. The final January 15th. The last February 4th. The ultimate March 17th. You get the picture.
When you look at each day as if it might be the last, you learn to appreciate each day for the gift it is. You may find that you’re more tuned in to what’s going on, paying full attention to what really matters. So at the end of each day, you can look back to the things you did, and the interactions you had, with few to no regrets.
“We live under the curse of partial attention.”
The quote above is from Harris and points to the problem we all face: Being fully present in our own lives without our minds endlessly being everywhere but the present moment. As Harris pointed out in his essay The Last Time:
Attention is your true source of wealth. Even more than time, because you can waste time being distracted. Mindfulness is the tool that allows you to do that. The only alternative is to be lost in thought, thinking about the past or the future.
For Harris, the recommended approach to controlling your attention is meditation, which can help us calm our overthinking minds. It can give you the ability to calm the inner dialogue, so that you’re not distracted by thoughts every waking moment. When you can surrender your thoughts of the past and future, you can fully live in the present.
If you knew you only had a finite time to live, what would you do differently?
None of us has any assurance as to how much time that we have left on this earth. It could be decades. It might be years. Perhaps months. If you knew your time was limited, would you pay more attention to the things that really matter? Pay less attention to the things that don’t? Would you be better able to connect with your own life?
Even if you can’t get into this head space, consider these statements below as you enter the new year. They’re the kind of things you might do if you knew your days were limited. Think about it, can you:
- Pay a little more attention to the people you meet
- When and where appropriate, tell people you love them
- Make eye contact as you have a conversation, no matter who you’re talking to
- Text, call, or write the people you’ve been meaning to text, call or write
- Thank someone and really mean it
- Spend less time on Tik Tok, Instagram and/or Facebook
- Put down your phone when in the company of another
- Take the time to appreciate a sunrise or sunset, a plant or a squirrel
Of course, you could take this idea to an extreme. You might say that since it’s hypothetically my last year, I can do whatever I want. But remember, character matters. So does the Golden Rule. Add guardrails as needed.
Still, why not consider taking that long-planned vacation this year, instead of putting it off? A friend of a friend recently retired at age sixty-seven. Three days later he had a stroke—a week before he was scheduled to go on the cruise of a lifetime to Alaska.
Here’s a summary of Sam Harris’s 2025 message.
Using Google Gemini, here’s a recap of Harris’s New Year’s message which focused on the importance of mindfulness and self-awareness.
- Focus on the present moment: He emphasized the value of cultivating present-moment awareness through practices like meditation. This helps us reduce stress, increase focus, and live more fulfilling lives.
- Acknowledge the finiteness of life: Harris highlighted the importance of recognizing the limited time we have and using it wisely. He encouraged listeners to consider how they would spend their time if they knew it was their last year.
- Prioritize meaningful connections: He stressed the importance of nurturing relationships with loved ones and cultivating meaningful connections with others.
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