A good friend of mine has a saying:
“We’re not here for a long time. We’re here for a good time.”
When he says that, he’s usually talking about having fun, enjoying your life, not being afraid to take risks.
He’s an avid backcountry skier, which can be dangerous. You could fall off a cliff or run into a tree. You could die in an avalanche. But, he argues, those risks shouldn’t prevent you from doing what you love to do because, after all, we’re not here for a long time – we’re here for a good time.
There are, however, other – perhaps wiser – ways to interpret this saying.
We could emphasize the “we’re not here for a long time” part, and reflect on how short life is. Compared to a universe that’s nearly 14 billion years old, your life is just a blink in the cosmic eye. This does not mean that your life is meaningless, however; it means that your life is precious. Your time is precious. So spend it wisely.
Also, by emphasizing the shortness of life, this saying reminds us that we’re lucky to be alive at all. You could die today. You could have died yesterday. You may have already survived numerous near-death experiences, whether you realize it or not (assuming you’ve driven on the freeway). Therefore, every day is a bonus day.
“You could leave life right now. Let that determine what you do and say and think.”1
This other saying, from Roman emperor and Stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelius, calls our attention to yet another interpretation of this wisdom. The line, “we’re here for a good time” could be understood as meaning that we’re here for a morally good time.
We’re here to be good, to do good. We’re here to create, contribute, and be kind.
So as you go about your day, your week, your life, please keep in mind this simple yet profound truth:
We’re not here for a long time. We’re here for a good time.
1 Aurelius, Marcus. Meditations. Penguin Classics, 2006.