“No one can have a peaceful life who thinks too much about lengthening it.” – Seneca

Life is a finite resource of undetermined amount. While we should make the most of our health and well being during our brief time here, making our health a source of stress and a distraction from life does nothing to add to our well being and is unlikely to add a single day to our longevity.

On another note, there are things worse than death. Failing to live a life for fear of the dangers built into the living experience would be one of those things. We can die in a car/bus/train/plane crash, we should still visit with loved ones even if it means traveling. The elements can be dangerous and storms can sneak up on us, we should still spend time outdoors. The list could go on and on.

The point is that our lives are not worth living if we spend too much time worrying about the risks that are innately present in the experience of being alive. We do far better for ourselves by mitigating the risks we can control without being obsessive; eating well, exercising, driving safely, and not taking unnecessary risks, and then accepting that the rest of the game is outside of our control.

And then we learn to enjoy the ride.

virtus fortis vocat