About this quote

Facing mortality clears a lot of noise and makes choices simpler. Saying you do not fear death is a way to stop letting imagined endings freeze you into inaction. Do a small test: name one thing you avoid because of fear, then ask whether that avoidance matters if your time were limited. Pick one step you can take this week toward that thing and do it.

When to use it

• At the hospice bedside, a father tells his daughter, 'I do not fear death,' then asks her to promise she will keep the garden going.
• Before joining a dangerous rescue, the lead firefighter says to the crew, 'I do not fear death,' to steady everyone's nerves and focus the plan.
• After risking savings on a new business, an entrepreneur shrugs and says to a friend, 'I do not fear death,' to explain why she can take the gamble.
• At basecamp before the final push, a climber whispers, 'I do not fear death,' squares his shoulders, and starts the ascent.