The Gift of Mortality

For December’s mortal musings, we’re unwrapping the unexpected gifts that mortality offers us—urgency, gratitude, and perspective.

Welcome to Mortal Musings—our monthly roundup of what’s sparking inspiration, contemplation and shifts of perspective in the realm of life, death and impermanence. We hope you enjoy!

What if you lived as if you had one year left — not with a bucket list, but with radical presence and love? That’s the gift of A Year to Live by Stephen Levine, a guide to living with nothing left unsaid and nothing left undone. Inspired by Socrates’ call to “practice dying as the highest form of wisdom,” Levine offers reflections, meditations, and exercises to help you live with courage, clarity, and heart. Give it as a gift to anyone ready to trade distraction for presence, fear for love, and someday for right now. A YEAR TO LIVE

What if you didn’t have to fear death — but could befriend it instead? Starting January 23, 2025, join Joanna Ebenstein, founder of Morbid Anatomy, for “Memento Mori: The Art of Contemplating Death to Live a Better Life” — a six-session course on how embracing mortality can help you live with greater clarity, courage, and meaning. Through lectures, reflections, and creative projects, you’ll craft your own personal myth of death and create a memento mori — a symbolic reminder to live fully before it’s too late. Learn more and reserve your spot (Get 10% off with code HELLOMORTAL!). MORBID ANATOMY

What wisdom would you share if you knew it was your last chance? The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch is exactly that — a breathtaking call to live fully, dream boldly, and love fiercely, delivered by a professor facing terminal cancer. Pausch’s reflections on time, dreams, and resilience have moved millions, reminding us that while we can't change the cards we're dealt, we can change how we play them. This book isn't about dying — it’s about truly living. Watch the legendary lecture that inspired it all here and gift it to someone who needs a reminder that life is precious, dreams are worth chasing, and right now is all we really have. THE LAST LECTURE

What if you could see your life — past, present, and future — as a tapestry of emotions, week by week? The My Life in Colors Memento Mori Calendar invites you to do just that, transforming time into a vivid mosaic of joy, struggle, and everything in between. Each week, you mark your dominant emotion with a color, creating a visual story of your inner world. As the months pass, you might notice the same "heavy" hues in a row — a gentle nudge to make a change. Or perhaps you’ll see that life is more colorful than it felt in the moment. This is more than a calendar; it’s a gift of reflection, awareness, and a deeper relationship with your time. ETSY

What if your year-end reflection wasn’t about doing more but about being more present? Created by Steve Schlafman, founder of Downshift and a coach who’s walked the path of burnout and reinvention himself, the Downshift Annual Life Review offers a profound alternative to the usual goal-setting frenzy. This 8-step guided journey invites you to pause, reflect, and reconnect with who you are beneath the hustle. Through thoughtful exercises, meditations, and visualizations, you’ll explore what truly lights you up — and from that place of wholeness, clarity and purpose naturally emerge. It’s a gift of stillness in a world that never stops moving. DOWNSHIFT

What if the greatest gift wasn’t under the tree — but hidden in plain sight? “It’s a Wonderful Life” tells the story of George Bailey, a man ready to give up on life, until a guardian angel shows him what the world would be like without him. It’s a timeless reminder that our small, everyday acts of love and kindness ripple out in ways we may never see. Watch it with someone you love this holiday season — and see if you can spot the invisible gifts you’ve given each other. PRIME VIDEO

What’s been sparking death contemplation for you this month? We’d love to hear about it—send a link our way, and it just might end up in a future edition. And if this newsletter resonated with you, don’t forget to like, comment, or share it with someone who might appreciate it too.

— Maura