--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I contemplate life as well as death…" description: "\"“When I contemplate life as well as death, I am discovering what really matters to me now.”\" — Lisa J. Shultz" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6fc/lisa-j-shultz-17419_contemplate_when-i-contemplate-life-as-well-as-death_587330.jpg" --- # When I contemplate life as well as death, I am discovering… ![“When I contemplate life as well as death, I am discovering what really matters to me now.” quote by Lisa J. Shultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6fc/lisa-j-shultz-17419_contemplate_when-i-contemplate-life-as-well-as-death_587330.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6fc/lisa-j-shultz-17419_contemplate_when-i-contemplate-life-as-well-as-death_587330.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6fc/lisa-j-shultz-17419_contemplate_when-i-contemplate-life-as-well-as-death_587330.jpg) > ““When I contemplate life as well as death, I am discovering what really matters to me now.”” [Lisa J. Shultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-j-shultz/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Contemplating mortality clarifies current priorities and values. **In simple terms:** Thinking of death highlights what matters now. Key Takeaway Focus on present priorities. Themes mortality priorities self-awareness Mood thoughtful motivational Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - goal setting - health decisions - relationship building - time management Key Concepts existential reflection value clarification Questions to Reflect On - What truly matters to you today? - How does mortality awareness change your actions? A Different Perspective Avoiding death thoughts can lead to complacency. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life and death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-and-death/) ## Related quotes > [Discovering what you really want saves you endless confusion and wasted energy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stuart-wilde/discovering-what-you-really-want-saves-you-endless-confusion-and/) [Stuart Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stuart-wilde/) > [When I ceased to accept the teaching of my youth, it was not so much a process of giving up beliefs, as of discovering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-stephen/when-i-ceased-to-accept-the-teaching-of-my-youth-it-was-not-so-much-a/) [Leslie Stephen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-stephen/) > [The two hardest things to contemplate in life ... are failure and age; those are one and the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-two-hardest-things-to-contemplate-in-life-are-failure-and-age/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I love the earth too much to contemplate a life apart from it, although I believe in that life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-dubus/i-love-the-earth-too-much-to-contemplate-a-life-apart-from-it/) [Andre Dubus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-dubus/) > [If we seriously contemplate life it appears an agony too great to be supported, but for the most part our minds gloss such things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-larkin/if-we-seriously-contemplate-life-it-appears-an-agony-too-great-to-be/) [Philip Larkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-larkin/) > [Contemplate life as infinite, undivided, ever present, ever active, until you realize yourself as one with it. It is not even very difficult, for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/contemplate-life-as-infinite-undivided-ever-present-ever-active-until/) [Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/) > [“Nothing else has given me a chance to contemplate life the way walking has.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayokunle-falomo/nothing-else-has-given-me-a-chance-to-contemplate-life-the-way/) [Ayokunle Falomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayokunle-falomo/) > [“Nothing else has given me the chance to contemplate life the way walking has.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayokunle-falomo/nothing-else-has-given-me-the-chance-to-contemplate-life-the-way/) [Ayokunle Falomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayokunle-falomo/) > [Sometimes I try and other times I quit. Often times I contemplate about life when I'm lit. I give it another shot and shit.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raghib-clitso/sometimes-i-try-and-other-times-i-quit-often-times-i-contemplate/) [Raghib Clitso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raghib-clitso/) > [My life has been such a blur since I was 18, 19 years old. I haven't even had time to contemplate my own life.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-achatz/my-life-has-been-such-a-blur-since-i-was-18-19-years-old-i-haven-t/) [Grant Achatz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grant-achatz/) > [“I have found that the process of discovering who I really am begins with knowing who I really don't want to be.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alcoholics-anonymous/i-have-found-that-the-process-of-discovering-who-i-really-am-begins/) [Alcoholics Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alcoholics-anonymous/) > [I just love jumping into someone else's life. It is a relatively cheap way to experience things you would be too scared to contemplate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dougray-scott/i-just-love-jumping-into-someone-else-s-life-it-is-a-relatively-cheap/) [Dougray Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dougray-scott/) > [“As time rolls on, however, we discover that duty is a series of compromises; we contemplate life, regard its end, and submit; but it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/as-time-rolls-on-however-we-discover-that-duty-is-a-series-of/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [It's impossible to contemplate the life of soil very long without seeing its analogy to the life of the spirit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/it-s-impossible-to-contemplate-the-life-of-soil-very-long-without/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [“The more I immerse myself in science and technology, the greater my need to retreat back to nature. I find it easier to contemplate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-e-richards/the-more-i-immerse-myself-in-science-and-technology-the-greater-my/) [Douglas E. Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-e-richards/) ## More by Lisa J. Shultz > [“When I reflect on the stories of death supported by hospice care and contrast it with our story depicting an absence of support, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-j-shultz/when-i-reflect-on-the-stories-of-death-supported-by-hospice-care-and/) [Lisa J. Shultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-j-shultz/) > [“For me, decluttering and downsizing has caused shifts in my thinking and my habits. I don’t have to declutter; I choose to declutter.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-j-shultz/for-me-decluttering-and-downsizing-has-caused-shifts-in-my-thinking/) [Lisa J. Shultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-j-shultz/) > [“I decided to break the trend of accumulating stuff sooner rather than later. I moved to smaller homes ahead of my need. I downsized…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-j-shultz/i-decided-to-break-the-trend-of-accumulating-stuff-sooner-rather-than/) [Lisa J. Shultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-j-shultz/) > [“My clearing has allowed me to rediscover things I stopped seeing and put them into a place of prominence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-j-shultz/my-clearing-has-allowed-me-to-rediscover-things-i-stopped-seeing-and/) [Lisa J. Shultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-j-shultz/) > [“When I eventually moved to a smaller home, it felt cozy, like having a pair of jeans that fit me just right—no wasted living…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-j-shultz/when-i-eventually-moved-to-a-smaller-home-it-felt-cozy-like-having-a/) [Lisa J. Shultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-j-shultz/) > [“A paradigm shift of viewing palliative care or hospice as a gift instead of seeing it as giving up has the potential to change…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-j-shultz/a-paradigm-shift-of-viewing-palliative-care-or-hospice-as-a-gift/) [Lisa J. Shultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-j-shultz/) > [“In the process of decluttering things in my life, I was peeling off the layers of my past that no longer mattered to my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-j-shultz/in-the-process-of-decluttering-things-in-my-life-i-was-peeling-off/) [Lisa J. Shultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-j-shultz/) > [“As I inch forward to embrace my life again by being mindful, writing books, and planning adventures, I sense my dad would approve. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-j-shultz/as-i-inch-forward-to-embrace-my-life-again-by-being-mindful-writing/) [Lisa J. Shultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-j-shultz/) > [“My choice of a lighter lifestyle has brought me a greater sense of well-being. In a world that often seems stressful and chaotic, that’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-j-shultz/my-choice-of-a-lighter-lifestyle-has-brought-me-a-greater-sense-of/) [Lisa J. Shultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-j-shultz/) > [“I felt myself in a sticky spot as a daughter and desperately needed a third party, such as a doctor, to address his declining…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-j-shultz/i-felt-myself-in-a-sticky-spot-as-a-daughter-and-desperately-needed-a/) [Lisa J. Shultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-j-shultz/) > [“Decluttering and downsizing before I am forced to do so also means my kids will have less work and stress when I reach old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-j-shultz/decluttering-and-downsizing-before-i-am-forced-to-do-so-also-means-my/) [Lisa J. Shultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-j-shultz/) > [“By seizing every opportunity for kindness, forgiveness, healing, and love that crosses my path each day, I hope that my death, although perhaps sad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-j-shultz/by-seizing-every-opportunity-for-kindness-forgiveness-healing-and/) [Lisa J. Shultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-j-shultz/) > [“Clutter may rob us of the life we imagined or prevent us from creating a new vision for our future.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-j-shultz/clutter-may-rob-us-of-the-life-we-imagined-or-prevent-us-from/) [Lisa J. Shultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-j-shultz/) > [“I believe one of the most important reasons I am here today is to practice forgiveness and to learn the power of it as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-j-shultz/i-believe-one-of-the-most-important-reasons-i-am-here-today-is-to/) [Lisa J. Shultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-j-shultz/) > [“What would I have wanted to say if I had had the opportunity to see him one more time? I would like to think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-j-shultz/what-would-i-have-wanted-to-say-if-i-had-had-the-opportunity-to-see/) [Lisa J. Shultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-j-shultz/) [Explore all 37 Lisa J. Shultz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-j-shultz/) ## More Contemplate quotes > [“Those who contemplate never escape the doubt.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henning-mankell/those-who-contemplate-never-escape-the-doubt/) [Henning Mankell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henning-mankell/) > [I have actually seen people contemplate their navels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-heilpern/i-have-actually-seen-people-contemplate-their-navels/) [John Heilpern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-heilpern/) > [The two hardest things to contemplate in life ... are failure and age; those are one and the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-two-hardest-things-to-contemplate-in-life-are-failure-and-age/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Did you ever notice when you contemplate suicide, the hardest things to remember are why you've come this far to begin with? me either.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/did-you-ever-notice-when-you-contemplate-suicide-the-hardest-things/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [So many hours must I take my rest; So many hours must I contemplate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/so-many-hours-must-i-take-my-rest-so-many-hours-must-i-contemplate/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [It is truly bracing and instructive to contemplate the End Times - at least at safe remove, in the pages of fiction - especially…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-di-filippo/it-is-truly-bracing-and-instructive-to-contemplate-the-end-times-at/) [Paul Di Filippo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-di-filippo/) > [“The value of anything is only relative in the moment of contemplating it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-redhead/the-value-of-anything-is-only-relative-in-the-moment-of-contemplating/) [Steven Redhead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-redhead/) > [ \[The lion\] began to contemplate me with a kind of quiet premeditation, like that of a slow-witted man fondling an unaccustomed thought. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beryl-markham/the-lion-began-to-contemplate-me-with-a-kind-of-quiet-premeditation/) [Beryl Markham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beryl-markham/) > [Nothing makes the future look so rosy as to contemplate it through a glass of Chambertin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/nothing-makes-the-future-look-so-rosy-as-to-contemplate-it-through-a/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [ \[When nature appears complicated:\] The moment we contemplate it as it is, and attain a position from which we can take a commanding view,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-herschel/when-nature-appears-complicated-the-moment-we-contemplate-it-as-it-is/) [John Herschel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-herschel/) > [Like most musicians, Im good at becoming immersed in the music that I am currently working on. We seldom lift up our heads to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-levin/like-most-musicians-im-good-at-becoming-immersed-in-the-music-that-i/) [Tony Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-levin/) > [“Contemplate for a moment hiking up a wild and rugged mountain. The mountain itself is a challenge, as well as the experience of beauty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-sanchez/contemplate-for-a-moment-hiking-up-a-wild-and-rugged-mountain-the/) [Steve Sanchez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-sanchez/) > [Contemplate nature with the eyes of the soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soljeannette-acevedo/contemplate-nature-with-the-eyes-of-the-soul/) Soljeannette Acevedo > [Let man then contemplate the whole of nature in her full and grand majesty... No idea approaches it. We may enlarge our conceptions beyond…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/let-man-then-contemplate-the-whole-of-nature-in-her-full-and-grand/) [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) > [“It was not easy to commit suicide as to contemplate it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/it-was-not-easy-to-commit-suicide-as-to-contemplate-it/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) Browse all 217 Contemplate quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“When I contemplate life as well as death, I am discovering what really matters to me now.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Lisa J. 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