--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When you know your not going to die, you…" description: "\"When you know your not going to die, you have to ask yourself... What's the highest and best use for myself.\" — Lance Armstrong" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3d/lance-armstrong-1639_action_when-you-know-your-not-going-to-die-you_1742111.jpg" --- # When you know your not going to die, you have to ask… ![“When you know your not going to die, you have to ask yourself... What's the highest and best use for myself.” quote by Lance Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3d/lance-armstrong-1639_action_when-you-know-your-not-going-to-die-you_1742111.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3d/lance-armstrong-1639_action_when-you-know-your-not-going-to-die-you_1742111.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3d/lance-armstrong-1639_action_when-you-know-your-not-going-to-die-you_1742111.jpg) > “When you know your not going to die, you have to ask yourself... What's the highest and best use for myself.” [Lance Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-armstrong/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Knowing life is finite prompts reflection on personal purpose and optimal contribution. **In simple terms:** Ask yourself your best use before death. Key Takeaway Identify your highest purpose now. Themes purpose legacy self‑assessment Mood motivational introspective Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - career planning - personal development - volunteering Key Concepts existential reflection goal setting Questions to Reflect On - What would you do if you knew you had limited time? - How does fear of death affect motivation? A Different Perspective Purpose can shift over time, requiring reassessment. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Action](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/action/) [Ask Highest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ask-highest-1529319/) [Ask yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ask-yourself/) [Asks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asks/) [Best Use](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-use-380918/) [Dies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dies/) [Going Die](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/going-die/) [Highest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/highest/) [Highest Best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/highest-best-266563/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Use](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use/) ## Related quotes > [One analysis found that every dollar in the opening offer translates to about 50 cents more in the final agreement. So put the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-bennett/one-analysis-found-that-every-dollar-in-the-opening-offer-translates/) [Jessica Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-bennett/) > [What's highest and best for you is always what's highest and best for everyone around you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-forleo/what-s-highest-and-best-for-you-is-always-what-s-highest-and-best-for/) [Marie Forleo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-forleo/) > [What is meant by its nature for the highest and the best, spreads among the lowly people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/what-is-meant-by-its-nature-for-the-highest-and-the-best-spreads/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [I'm going to play at the highest I can, the best I can every night. Wherever that lands me, that's where it lands me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-george/i-m-going-to-play-at-the-highest-i-can-the-best-i-can-every-night/) [Paul George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-george/) > [The best use one can make of his mind is to distrust it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-fenelon/the-best-use-one-can-make-of-his-mind-is-to-distrust-it/) [Francois Fenelon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-fenelon/) > [First gain the victory and then make the best use of it you can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horatio-nelson/first-gain-the-victory-and-then-make-the-best-use-of-it-you-can/) [Horatio Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horatio-nelson/) > [Waste neither time nor money, but make the best use of both. Without industry and frugality, nothing will do, and with them everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/waste-neither-time-nor-money-but-make-the-best-use-of-both-without/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Everything keeps its best nature only by being put to its best use.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillips-brooks/everything-keeps-its-best-nature-only-by-being-put-to-its-best-use/) [Phillips Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillips-brooks/) > [“Because we're the best: we use all organic.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-clark/because-we-re-the-best-we-use-all-organic/) [Catherine Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-clark/) > [I came to realize that life lived to help others is the only one that matters and that it sis my duty ... This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-stein/i-came-to-realize-that-life-lived-to-help-others-is-the-only-one-that/) [Ben Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-stein/) > [What is the best use of my time on this planet?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hiddleston/what-is-the-best-use-of-my-time-on-this-planet/) [Tom Hiddleston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hiddleston/) > [What do you do with your legacy, and how do you best put it to use?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/what-do-you-do-with-your-legacy-and-how-do-you-best-put-it-to-use/) [August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/) > [The best use anyone can make of any day is to enjoy it - and then spread that joy to others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kremer/the-best-use-anyone-can-make-of-any-day-is-to-enjoy-it-and-then/) [John Kremer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kremer/) > [“What is the best use of my time right now?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-lakein/what-is-the-best-use-of-my-time-right-now/) [Alan Lakein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-lakein/) > [Being a third wheel isn't the best, but use it towards your advantage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mccarty/being-a-third-wheel-isn-t-the-best-but-use-it-towards-your-advantage/) [Kevin McCarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mccarty/) ## More by Lance Armstrong > [I raced because I was paid to do a job and I felt like I had to do the job. Number two: I raced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-armstrong/i-raced-because-i-was-paid-to-do-a-job-and-i-felt-like-i-had-to-do/) [Lance Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-armstrong/) > [Regardless of one victory, two victories, four victories, there's never been a victory by a cancer survivor. That's a fact that hopefully I'll be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-armstrong/regardless-of-one-victory-two-victories-four-victories-there-s-never/) [Lance Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-armstrong/) > [Average is Your Enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-armstrong/average-is-your-enemy/) [Lance Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-armstrong/) > [Hard work, sacrifice and focus will never show up in tests.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-armstrong/hard-work-sacrifice-and-focus-will-never-show-up-in-tests/) [Lance Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-armstrong/) > [Hope that is the only antidote to fear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-armstrong/hope-that-is-the-only-antidote-to-fear/) [Lance Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-armstrong/) > [Evan Handler is a man who’s looked into the abyss and laughed. His book, It’s Only Temporary, made me laugh along with him. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-armstrong/evan-handler-is-a-man-who-s-looked-into-the-abyss-and-laughed-his/) [Lance Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-armstrong/) > [My cocktail, so to speak, was only EPO, but not a lot, transfusions and testosterone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-armstrong/my-cocktail-so-to-speak-was-only-epo-but-not-a-lot-transfusions-and/) [Lance Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-armstrong/) > [I love this race from the very depths of my heart. It gives me motivation and it transcendsme like nothing else in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-armstrong/i-love-this-race-from-the-very-depths-of-my-heart-it-gives-me/) [Lance Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-armstrong/) > [Nothing goes to waste, you put it all to use, the old wounds and long-ago slights become the stuff of competitive energy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-armstrong/nothing-goes-to-waste-you-put-it-all-to-use-the-old-wounds-and-long/) [Lance Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-armstrong/) > [ I spent a long time trying to build up an organisation \[the Lance Armstrong Foundation that changed its name to Livestrong after his confession\]… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-armstrong/i-spent-a-long-time-trying-to-build-up-an-organisation-the-lance/) [Lance Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-armstrong/) > [A bicycle is the long-sought means of transportation for all of us who have runaway hearts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-armstrong/a-bicycle-is-the-long-sought-means-of-transportation-for-all-of-us/) [Lance Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-armstrong/) > [You know what they say, the high trees get the wind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-armstrong/you-know-what-they-say-the-high-trees-get-the-wind/) [Lance Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-armstrong/) > [Live strong is exactly I guess what it says. It's one thing to live, but it's another thing to live strong, to attack the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-armstrong/live-strong-is-exactly-i-guess-what-it-says-it-s-one-thing-to-live/) [Lance Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-armstrong/) > [I've committed to surfing the rest of my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-armstrong/i-ve-committed-to-surfing-the-rest-of-my-life/) [Lance Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-armstrong/) > [I would love to be in a place, and I may never get there, where I can help people. It's something that I never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-armstrong/i-would-love-to-be-in-a-place-and-i-may-never-get-there-where-i-can/) [Lance Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-armstrong/) [Explore all 220 Lance Armstrong quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-armstrong/) ## More Action quotes > [I always say there are two things to be successful. The first is decide exactly what you want - set your goals - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/i-always-say-there-are-two-things-to-be-successful-the-first-is/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [You'd be surprised how hard it can often be to translate an action into an idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/you-d-be-surprised-how-hard-it-can-often-be-to-translate-an-action/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) > [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/) [Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/) > [Nothing is so powerful as an insight into human nature... what compulsions drive a man, what instincts dominate his action. If you know these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bernbach/nothing-is-so-powerful-as-an-insight-into-human-nature-what/) [William Bernbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bernbach/) > [Every thought I have imprisioned in expression I must free by my deeds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kahlil-gibran/every-thought-i-have-imprisioned-in-expression-i-must-free-by-my-deeds/) [Kahlil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kahlil-gibran/) > [It took me 20 years to buy an electric typewriter, because I was afraid it would be too sensitive. I like to bang the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/it-took-me-20-years-to-buy-an-electric-typewriter-because-i-was/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [Every action that helps us manifest our divine nature more and more is good; every action that retards it is evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/every-action-that-helps-us-manifest-our-divine-nature-more-and-more/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [As you begin changing your thinking, start immediately to change your behaviour. Begin to act the part of the person you would like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-you-begin-changing-your-thinking-start-immediately-to-change-your/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's easy to say, let's go in and get the bad guys. But you have a divided country of Sunnis and Shias. The United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tulsi-gabbard/it-s-easy-to-say-let-s-go-in-and-get-the-bad-guys-but-you-have-a/) [Tulsi Gabbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tulsi-gabbard/) > [For comedy action, I must know the language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sammo-hung/for-comedy-action-i-must-know-the-language/) [Sammo Hung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sammo-hung/) > [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [“Action is a powerful thing. When you smile through your sadness, it can completely change your outlook. Try it! Smile :) Now hold onto…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leticia-rae/action-is-a-powerful-thing-when-you-smile-through-your-sadness-it-can/) [Leticia Rae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leticia-rae/) > [I reject criticism because the last thing I wanted was to sit there and look at people talking. 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