[Life Insights] Scheduling Death — Don't Let Life Leave Too Many Regrets

"Life is the beginning of death, and death is the continuation of life. If I die after fifty, I will have fulfilled both loyalty and filial piety—be loyal to my country and dutiful to my parents. If I die in five years, I will fight for my ideals. If I die in five months, I will treat my family and friends well. If I die in five days, I will look back on my bittersweet life. If I die in five seconds, I will bless everyone around me." \ —A student wrote this as their 'epitaph'\ Taiwan's famous female writer Bi Shumin once published a book titled *Appointment with Death*, which includes multiple essays on life and death written by her. One of these essays is "Write Your Own Epitaph."\ Many people think pondering death is an issue for the elderly, believing death is far from us—energetic young people! In reality, this is not true; no one can foresee the future. Today you may be healthy and full of life, but tomorrow you could be lying in a hospital bed; at this moment, you may be living well in this world, but the next moment, you might already have reported to the Grim Reaper.\ The world is ever-changing and unpredictable, life is full of surprises, and no one can guarantee that you will see the sun tomorrow, nor can anyone guarantee that the next moment you will still be okay. Therefore, while you still have the chance, whatever you want to do or plan to do should be done promptly, instead of always thinking there will be tomorrow. So, do not assume that death is far away, do not assume you have countless tomorrows, and do not squander your time.\ In the essay "Write Your Own Epitaph," there is a section where a student wrote their 'epitaph':\ "Life is the beginning of death, and death is the continuation of life. If I die after fifty, I will have fulfilled both loyalty and filial piety—be loyal to my country and dutiful to my parents. If I die in five years, I will fight for my ideals. If I die in five months, I will treat my family and friends well. If I die in five days, I will look back on my bittersweet life. If I die in five seconds, I will bless everyone around me."\ If one could truly live as this student described, then no matter where life ends, there would be no regrets.\ But how many people can actually do this?\ In this world, how many people are just killing time?Having no goals or direction in life, living day to day like a monk striking a bell—just getting by. Living in confusion and muddle, a lifetime passes like this, leaving no achievements, only countless regrets, big and small!\ Life is fragile, and every life could quietly disappear. If you are alive, you should live a life of value and meaning. No matter what stage of life you are in, you should have your own goals and something to strive for.\ People rarely get the chance to roam this world. Since we have come into this world, we cannot just wander through it without purpose. We must find a way to leave a part of ourselves in this world, as marks of our existence; we must strive to make our lives brilliant and magnificent. If a person's whole life passes in confusion and muddle, then it is truly a life wasted.\ Death is both far from us and very near us. To live is to learn to think, to reflect on death, and to consider how to face it without fear or regret. We could fall into the abyss of death at any time, and if a person can face death calmly at any moment without leaving any regrets, then he or she has truly succeeded in life. That person's life would be perfect and without regret.\ But how many people can truly live without leaving a single regret? Very few. What we must do is clarify our goals, cherish the present, grasp the moment, and not let our lives be left with too many regrets.\ Each person is unique, and each life has different scenery. How you spend your life is a question everyone must contemplate. Stop wasting your years! Stop muddling through life! In the time left, finish the things you haven't gotten around to doing yet, as soon as possible. Make good use of your time, and strive to ensure that no matter when you leave this world, you will not be left with too many regrets!\ Text by Qing Xiaye