It is vain for the coward to flee; death follows close behind; it is only by defying it that the brave escape.

Voltaire - 1694 - 1778.

The Hoodoo Gurus’ song Death Defying was written in the middle of the HIV/AIDS crisis.

Lead singer Dave Faulkner watched his friends die, one after another. His response wasn’t to rage, but to write a song that, beneath its upbeat melody, some lyrics delivered hard truths:

Well, I barely learned to swim, ooh-wee
Just enough to save my skin, ooh-wee
And I'll never sail alone, ooh-wee
And my harbour is my home, ooh-wee

All our friends are dead or they're dying
And our laughter turns into crying
It's death-defying

For years, I thought the Hoodoos’ “death-defying” meant fighting against loss. But listening again, I hear something more profound. Faulkner isn’t battling the waves; he’s barely learning to swim. He seeks refuge in a harbour but knows he can’t stay there. The song is about continuing, not through resistance, but through acceptance.

Where across the course of your day today, could you consider where it might be that you accept the challenges of life and, rather than resist, bend a little and accept whatever will be, will be?

Doris Day famously sang “Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)” in 1956. Despite sounding Spanish or Italian, the phrase isn’t grammatically correct in either language; it was created as a kind of faux-foreign expression for the song.

In the lyrics, Doris Day sings:

Que sera, sera
Whatever will be, will be
The future's not ours to see
Que sera, sera
What will be, will be.

The song expresses the idea of accepting the future as it comes, an attitude of surrender or acceptance towards what cannot be controlled.

Where across the course of your day today, could you consider where it might be that you practice acceptance not as passive resignation, but as a powerful strategy for navigating uncertainty and change?

Sometimes resilience isn’t about standing firm. It’s about knowing when to soften. Life’s waves don’t stop coming. But when you bend instead of break, you’re still standing when the tide retreats.

After all, acceptance isn’t surrender, it’s strategy. Que sera, sera, isn’t quitting; it’s a reminder to flow with life, not fight against it. And ironically, that’s where your real strength emerges.

Where across the course of your day today, could you consider where it might be that you memorise the Serenity prayer for radical acceptance paired with empowered action?

The Serenity Prayer is a short, powerful prayer often used in recovery and self-help communities, especially within Alcoholics Anonymous and similar 12-step programs. It was written by Reinhold Niebuhr, an American theologian, in the 1930s.

Here’s the classic form of the Serenity Prayer:

God, grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change,
courage to change the things I can,
and wisdom to know the difference.

At its simplest, death-defying means doing something so daring or dangerous that it risks death, like a stuntman jumping from a plane without a parachute, trusting a mid-air rescue, or a tight rope walker without a net.

But in a more profound, more reflective sense (as used in the Hoodoo Gurus’ song), death-defying can represent something far more human:

• Pushing forward in the face of inevitable loss.

• Continuing to live, even when surrounded by death, grief, or hardship.

• Choosing to feel joy, laugh, and love again after loss.

In that way, death-defying isn’t about recklessness; it’s about courage disguised as surrender.

You’re not just extending life, you’re actively defying its natural end through strategic actions

Here are 8 Death-Defying Feats For Longevity

1. Lift Heavy (and Often)
   Strength training isn’t just for aesthetics. Muscle mass is a direct predictor of longevity. Think of it as life insurance for your bones, metabolism, and independence.

2. Walk Daily (Zone 2 Cardio)
   Long, steady-state walks (or rucks) build mitochondrial health, cardiovascular resilience, and metabolic flexibility. Walking is the ultimate low-impact, lifelong practice.

3. Prioritize Protein
   Aim for 1.6–2.2g of protein per kg bodyweight daily. Muscle is protective, and protein is the raw material for maintaining it, especially as you age.

4. Sleep Like It’s Your Job
   Sleep is where longevity happens. Deep, restorative sleep repairs DNA, clears metabolic waste from your brain, and regulates your hormones. No bio hack beats consistent 7–9 hours.

5. Master Breathwork (and Stress Response)
   Control your nervous system. Breathwork practices like nasal breathing, box breathing, or physiological sighs downregulate stress and help you live longer and better.

6. Sprint Occasionally
   Fast-twitch muscle fibres are the first to atrophy with age. Brief sprint sessions (safely performed) signal your body to stay youthful, mobile, and powerful.

7. Cold (or Heat) Exposure
   Cold showers and/or sauna sessions activate longevity pathways, such as hormesis, reduce inflammation, and boost metabolic health. Controlled discomfort equals extended health span.

8. Maintain Social Fitness
   Loneliness is as dangerous as smoking. Maintain meaningful connections, engage in your community, and never stop seeking human interaction. Connection literally defies death.

Each of these is simple, but together, they’re death-defying.
They tell your body, “I’m not done yet.”

Faulkner’s song is a modern lesson in wu wei. In a world falling apart, his “death defiance” wasn’t clinging. It was letting go.

Sometimes resilience isn’t about pushing harder, it’s about knowing when to float.

While you’re thinking about that, think about this and have a Gr8 day!

Be well.

DL

"The only way you can hurt the body is to not use it."
Jack LaLanne - 1914 - 2011.

And while you’re thinking about that, listen to this Que sera, sera and have a F8 day!