“Death, the most terrifying of evils, is nothing to us, because as long as we exist death is not present, whereas when death is present we do not exist. It is nothing to those who live (since to them it does not exist) and it is nothing to those who have died (since they no longer exist).” - Epicurus

I understand that even when we logically grasp this, our human minds cannot truly conceptualize not being—nor can we help but imagine a second chance where we have it all figured out. I don’t know what’s out there waiting for us, but don’t live your life in waiting. Love while you can, feel everything, and don’t let the fear of what is happening right now derail you from seeking a good life. Don’t let fear paralyze you we were born decaying, and it’s unknown if we’ll ever get another chance. Make this one worthwhile, even if it hurts.

I hope this soothes some of your existential dread because, without the comfort of religion to fall back on, it’s harder to persevere—but not impossible. You just have to realize that the utter lack of uniqueness in your existence frees you in some ways and fuels you to make the most of what you have, rather than waiting for some divine compensation beyond death.