Burn on your terms.

My father is ninety years old. My mother-in-law is ninety-two. I see close-up what old age looks like. I can imagine what likely awaits me.

“Live hard,” William James advised his son. It is a certain degree of freedom to acknowledge that which is awaiting us. It’s opposite is the thing that sneaks up on you. There is no good reason for that. Take measure of the inevitable. Let there be no surprise. Attempt to breach the unbreachable in the only way possible: live hard.

Burn the candle at both ends. It will go out eventually anyway. Let it be on your terms.