Surat Alnahl - Verses 26 to 31
My understanding
We’re weird creatures — one of the things that makes us different from other creatures is that we go through life knowing we’re going to die at the end.
The question then becomes one of purpose — what should I do during this time that maximizes my outcome after death (since that part is eternal).
To make such a decision, I’d need to familiarize myself with the ramifications of taking the wrong decision, as well as the cost of inaction (since choosing not to do anything is a decision too).
When the unit of time is something as large as a lifetime, it can be very difficult to plan ahead — many people don’t think about death every single day and I don’t either. It’s hard to see and feel when it seems so far.
However, that must never affect the end goal that you’re setting out to optimize .. since I know that day will come, as a matter of certainty.
This is the longest of long term plays — don’t sacrifice the long term for the short.
TL;DR: Keep your eyes on the prize. Earn it.