The One Thing We Can Be Sure About

The One Thing We Can Be Sure  About
"We are quick to forget that just being alive is an extraordinary piece of good luck, a remote event, a chance occurrence of monstrous proportions," Nassim Nicholas Taleb.

Imagine hearing from your doctor that you only have 10 years, or even shorter, to live. Would you do anything differently?

Actually, on the day we were born, death is already a certainty. It is the hour of our death that remains uncertain.

The Story of Gabriel

Gabriel, a 26-year-old, good looking young man, HKU graduate who worked in the financial center, had been diagnosed with stomach and liver cancer. He then donated HK$800,000 to a children’s cancer fund while he was himself battling terminal cancer. Gabriel passed away recently at an age of 28 in the company of his loved ones. 

I spent some time to read all his IG posts after the diagnosis. I tried to imagine the pain and suffering he endured, the pain of removing your stomach, losing the very last ounce of energy after receiving chemotherapy, having the humor and courage to write funny songs about that, preparing and enjoying meals with your loved ones while almost losing all your appetite, facing death at the age of 26, giving out all the hard-earned money to a children's cancer fund knowing that your life is ending soon. (For anyone interested, please check out Gabriel's public IG account.)

Of course, I could not experience what Gabriel experienced. (And I sincerely hope that would not happen anytime soon to me and the persons I care about.) Yet, this thought exercise does make me think very seriously about one question,

"Am I living the life I want to?"

Impermenance and Extreme Luck

Hopefully, understanding the impermanence of life will free us from the false passion for security. (I read it somewhere. I could not prove it for now, as I am still try to grasp the idea.)

In my recent favourite book Black Swan, the author wrote, "I am sometimes taken aback by how people can have a miserable day or get angry because they feel cheated by a bad meal, cold coffee, a social rebuff, or a rude reception. We are quick to forget that just being alive is an extraordinary piece of good luck, a remote event, a chance occurrence of monstrous proportions."

Let's make the best use of this good luck.

Bryan Tan

Bryan Tan

Taiwan/Canada