Heart surgeon with 25 years of experience says this is one of the hardest lessons he has learned from treating patients

A trip, a dream or a long-overdue meeting can always wait, until it doesn’t. After 25 years as a heart surgeon, Dr Jeremy London shares a reminder.

We often keep telling ourselves there’s plenty of time. A trip can wait, a dream can wait, and even meeting someone we miss can be put off until another day. But what if that ‘later’ never comes? In an October 1 Instagram post, Dr Jeremy London, a board-certified cardiovascular surgeon, reflected on a lesson he has learned after 25 years of treating patients.

“One hard lesson that I've learned after 25 years as a heart surgeon is that death is inevitable. Don't forget to live,” Dr London said.

He also highlighted how unexpectedly a cardiac event can happen, pointing out that some people may have no warning before a fatal heart attack. “Nearly half of patients that have heart attacks present with sudden death as their first symptom. Their first symptom is their last,” he said.

‘I’ll do it later frequently translates into never’

According to Dr London, many people have bucket lists filled with places they want to visit, things they want to build, and people they want to reconnect with. However, these plans often get pushed into an undefined future.

He listed some of the common reasons people give themselves for waiting: “After the kids are grown, once I get a promotion, once I'm retired.” “The problem is, I'll do it later frequently translates into never. And the arrival is never guaranteed,” Dr London added.

“You know, it's interesting. The research on regret has consistently shown that people regret the things they should have done much more than the things they've actually done,” he said.

For Dr London, the answer is not necessarily to accomplish every goal immediately, but to begin taking steps towards the things that matter.

‘The goals that matter most to us don't need to wait’

Dr London encouraged people to stop waiting for the perfect circumstances before acting on their goals. “The goals that matter most to us don't need to wait for the perfect moment. All they need is a start,” he said.

He suggested breaking big ambitions into smaller, achievable steps. “The marathon? Sign up for a 5K. You want to take a trip? Pick the dates,” Dr London said.

Concluding his message, Dr London invoked the ancient Roman philosopher Seneca, whose writing similarly emphasised the fleeting nature of life. “Because as Seneca said 2,000 years ago, while we're postponing, life speeds by. Death is inevitable. Don't forget to live. I hope you guys have a great day,” he said.

Dr Jeremy London is a board-certified cardiovascular surgeon with more than 25 years of experience. The heart surgeon has an MD from the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, and his focus is on the intersection of lifestyle, preventive medicine, and evidence-based longevity.

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