I recently watched the 2022 film Living on Netflix. It’s probably the zenith roll of Bill Nighy’s career. He portrays a Public Works bureaucrat, in the most regimented of jobs, who learns he has between 6 and 9 months to live. It is beautiful, and poignant, and irrepressibly sad. It is also incredibly thought provoking.

Up until his doctor’s pronouncement that he is dying, he has lived “the shell of a life.” Suddenly, he discovers he wants to live and have fun. Sadly, he is at a loss as to what fun means to him. He first lurches into a drinking and cavorting spree, which is inevitably, not his cup of tea. Then, he starts digging down into his deeper self to discover what is meaningful to him, and he starts to change. He connects more with people around him. He goes out and he does activities that he finds appealing, such as going to films on Wednesday and dining at good restaurants. Most importantly, he undertakes actions—creating a playground in a downtrodden neighborhood—that gives to others, which he can be proud of while he’s alive, and which becomes his legacy after he is gone.

If you discovered you had his fate, what would you do differently? Are there activities you’d cleave from your life or others you’d add? Are there people—family and friends–you’d reach out to more or with whom you’d make amends? Are there actions you’d undertake to leave your mark on the world? Are there people in whose life you’d choose to make a difference?

It’s important to remember that the things that I may need to do are not the things you may need to do to feel as if we’ve done something significant and made a difference on this earth. It’s not a competition, it’s a mission…and only with ourselves.

It’s truly worth thinking about, because we never know exactly how long we’ll have. Carpe Diem.

P.S.  I highly recommend this movie, but be prepared. In an odd sort of way, it is as uplifting and inspiring as it is sad.

Image Courtesy of Lions Gate Films

Originally published in BeyondtheNest.com, Rochester’s FREE weekly guide to Arts, Culture and Recreation.