I read another version of that story - from the great sword master Muyimato Mushashi, author of the book of five rings, the classic book on fighting strategy and who was never defeated ... young samurai were sent to Mushashi to be trained and he was reknown as a harsh teacher, as likely to kill his students as to train them.

A young samurai arrived to study with him ... Mushashi told him to grab a katana, a sword, and stand ready.

The young man did as he was told.

Mushashi grabbed a wooden sword, a bokken, and stood opposite him.

After a moment, he looked at the young man and said, "Who has trained you before?"

"I've never trained before, master" the young man said.

Mushashi looked at him and raised his weapon. The young man readied himself.

"You've trained with a katana, don't lie to me or it will go badly for you!" Mushashi said. "You've studied for years with a master!"

"No sire, I have not, upon my honor."

Mushashi studied the young man a moment, motioned for him to put the weapon down.

They had tea and Mushashi asked him about himself.

The young man confessed that he had, just recently, been conscripted by his master into the army ... before that he'd never held a weapon and studied books and poetry. But now that he was a samurai, he knew he was likely to die soon, especially since he knew so little about the fighting arts.

To deal with it, he spent an hour every day meditating on his own inevitable death, and accepting that it could and would happen at any given moment. Every breath he takes he does so with the knowledge that it could be his last.

Mushashi contemplated the young man for a moment, then called for a pen and paper. He wrote out a certificate of sword mastery for the young man right then and there.

"You need no further instruction," Mushashi said, "You already know everything you need to know."

I don't know if that story is true, but it's so good that I had to share.

Thanks, Josh. Let me zero in this:

"To deal with it, he spent an hour every day meditating on his own inevitable death, and accepting that it could and would happen at any given moment. Every breath he takes he does so with the knowledge that it could be his last."

Isn't our ability to grasp and live with our inevitable death one of, if not the most fundamental truth of existence? That we live with an expiration date?

The point about living each day, each hour, each breath as if it was your last is a thematic part of so many movies, either up-top and direct, or more in subtext and meaning.

In a way, it seems to me, it's like the other side of the coin to Joseph Campbell's assertion that the 'message' of The Hero's Journey is "Follow your bliss."

In many ways, I find it much easier to write about that truth -- living each day as if it was your last -- than actually live it. But I suppose a lot of people 'suffer' from that condition!

I wrestle with it every day, it's the hardest thing there is, I think ... especially for people who live and work out of their head ...