Survivors’ Anthem Series # 14: “Live Like You Were Dying” - Tim McGraw
- Shannon Brown
- Feb 20
- 3 min read
Updated: Feb 23
Remembering to Truly Live
There are songs that help you cry.
Songs that help you release anger.
Songs that help you find your voice again.
And then there are songs that gently take your shoulders and remind you:
You are still here, so live.
This is Survivors’ Anthem # 14:
“Live Like You Were Dying” - Tim McGraw
Sometimes survival isn’t about looking back.
Sometimes it’s about looking forward, and asking yourself what you’re going to do with the life you fought so hard to keep.
When Life Changes Your Perspective
This past week we lost an amazing man, James Van Der Beek, after his battle with cancer.
I had the honor of meeting him in 2024 and sharing my advocacy work with him. He was incredibly kind and encouraging, telling me that what I was doing makes a real impact and to keep going.
Over the past few years I’ve spent time watching many of his Instagram reels. They often spoke about perspective, about stepping back and really looking at your life, questioning why we do certain things, and reminding people that we should choose the things that truly make us happy.
Watching someone live and speak that intentionally, and then seeing how fragile life truly is, shifts something inside you.
It reminds you that time is not guaranteed.
Why This Song Is a Survivor Anthem
Being a survivor, no matter what kind, changes how you see the world.
You learn how quickly things can shift.
How much can be taken.
How deeply moments matter.
But sometimes survivors forget something important:
After surviving… you’re allowed to live.
Not just exist.
Not just cope.
Not just get through the day.
Live.
This song is a reminder to step back and reclaim your life.
To do the things you’ve been afraid to do.
To say the things you’ve been holding in.
To allow yourself happiness without guilt.
Because surviving wasn’t meant to be the end of your story.
It was meant to give you the chance to write the rest of it.
The Permission to Choose Joy
Trauma can make you live cautiously.
You plan for the worst.
You protect yourself.
You hesitate.
But healing sometimes means choosing joy even when your brain still expects fear.
“Live Like You Were Dying” reminds me:
You only get one life.
You don’t have to wait for permission to enjoy it.
Take the trip.
Laugh loudly.
Love deeply.
Tell people they matter.
Do the things that make your soul feel alive.
Happiness is not something survivors have to earn, it’s something they deserve.
A Thank You
Tim McGraw - thank you.
Thank you for writing a song that shifts perspective back to what matters most. Thank you for reminding people to value the time they have and the people around them.
And to James, thank you for your kindness, your encouragement, and the reminder to live intentionally. Your words mattered, and they continue to.
What’s Next in the Survivors’ Anthem Series
Each Survivors’ Anthem post shares:
a song
why it mattered
and how music helped carry healing forward
If this song teaches anything, it’s this:
You survived for a reason.
Now give yourself permission to live.
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