# Live as if it were your second life One often hears phrases such as "Live every day as if it were your last." While I understand the intended meaning, I find this motto to be somewhat disingenuous as I would probably do very extreme things if I was sure it was my last day. Viktor Frankl suggests an idea that is much more interesting and is almost always applicable: > "Live as if you were living already for the second time and as if you had acted the first time as wrongly as you are about to act now! It seems to me that there is nothing which would stimulate a man's sense of responsibleness more than this maxim, which invites him to imagine first that the present is past and, second, that the past may yet be changed and amended." — Viktor Frankl. I find this point of view very powerful as it makes the weight of your decision very sensible. It underlines both your freedom and your responsibility to live your life as you want it. --- ## 📚 References - Frankl, Viktor E. _Man's Search for Meaning_. Beacon Press, 2006.