Lately, I realize how little time there is or us to do our things on a daily basis and this reminded me of a post I made a while back. I’d like to share it you once again because the the idea still applies and it will probably apply from now on (the original post can be found here):
How often do you think about time as a resource? Moreover, how often do you think that the time you have it’s going to end and it’s nothing you can do about it? How many years do we lose? How many do we have left? If you’d know exactly when your time is going to end, what would you do different?
Even though we know that it’s going to end someday, we’re not using our time wisely. How much time we spend thinking about money even though every month we’ll earn new ones, but how much money do we spend to extend our time? I think that we’re not careful enough with how we’re spending our time. It’s not easy for us to imagine that our time will someday end, especially when we are young and that’s why we are not careful with it. It takes a lifetime for us to realize how important time is because that’s when we feel we’re running out of it. I think that this is when the loss feeling is kicking in and we truly realize that it’s nothing we can do to earn some more. That’s the moment when we look back and see how stupid and reckless we’ve spend so much time. That’s when we truly start to appreciate life.
But what can we do to change this? Well, we should start enjoying every moment. We should view time just as it is, a resource that will someday end. If we can truly realize that our time is going to end, I think that we’ll start spending it wiser. The biggest problem is that we’re not built to understand that we will no longer be. We can’t imagine how not being is… that someday we’ll not wake up anymore. We can’t understand the nothing. We’re built to survive no matter what. Statistically, the older a person is, the more religious he/she becomes. Why? Because that person feels that the time is going to end, but that person cannot understand that he/she as an individual, will no longer be… so when a religion gives a life after death, the survival instinct determines that person to do whatever it takes to get there… to a never-ending life.
But thinking too much about time can get you to the question what’s the point of all if we’re all going to run out of time? Well, that’s the whole point! We’re running out of time so we should enjoy it. You know that your money will end, but that doesn’t mean that you’re throwing them all away, instead you’ll be more careful on how you’re spending it, right? That’s how we should spend our time, too.
My question is this: What can we do to make the most of our time?
We invest the time in pursuits and interests that are of most interest to us.
At that time.
Yes. And for the most part it is fine. But when things change?! Well then.. I’m seriously messed up because I don’t get to change anymore. I have to drag every single person I know along with me and make them change too.
This post throws up a great deal of points to debate.
It is very true that we should do what we like with our time, and no one should tell us otherwise.
But that in itself brings into disrepute many, if not all, modern religions, who tell people how to live their lives; if time is finite for us, and we should use it how we will, then these religions are not assisting us in that process, and by extension, restricting our lives.
The answer is simple to be conscious of the present, to be aware of what we are doing with our time and be content with it. If we are not, then we should act to change it.
The fear of time running out isn’t really a deserved one; although we may indeed die, do you know for sure what happens after it? People will say there is no life after death, but when have they confirmed it?
I believe this is something the older, original societies of humanity had a different view on. Death was celebrated, and though we can say it’s because they wanted to believe in something after, we can’t just assume that. And even if it is true, I would argue they lives their lives to the full.
Yes, religion does that, but what’s more important is how and why people agree with those concepts. It’s because of pure belief or because of the fear of punishment in case they don’t obey? Because if it’s because of the belief, people can have amazing lives and they can live every second because they can realize how big of a gift life is…
But you don’t have to be religious to do any of this; belief need only be within yourself and the world around, and the universe at large. You don’t need to be religious to be a good person, to achieve great things or helps others.
The fact that some people believe out of fear should say it all; fear is the biggest thing that holds anyone back.
Of course. And this applies to religious people as well.
Your post is amazing..and I agree with all your points!
Thank you! I hope you found it helpful 🙂
Indeed. This may be the reason I always forgive and forget because I don’t want to spend the rest of my life resenting people.
True! I think we have better things to do with our lives.
Once again reading my mind lol…hubbs and I were watching Adam Ruins Everything and he talks about the industry of death. How expensive it is, asking questions about what’s after this life, how we probably should spend our time interim, etc.
What we should do with our time is live life and enjoy it as much as possible, find joy in big things as well as little things(alot of little things add up to big things). Prov. 27:1 “Do not boast about tomorrow for you know not what a day may bring.” It’s a biblical quote yet it’s also common sense. Be happy and love others. Don’t spend it worrying.
That’s a lesson we’re not accepting when we need to. We learn it when it’s too late.
The only being/creature, real or imagined, in the universe that uses time is the human race… all else seems to be able to live life without so I thought I would try it, the only occasion that I use time is a doctor’s appointment… 🙂
“No road is too long for him who advances slowly and does not hurry, and no attainment is beyond his reach who equips himself with patience to achieve it.” Jean de La Bruyere
I live just like that. 😊
Time is still there even though we’re aware of it or not. But that doesn’t mean we need to be aware of it 🙂
I agree with you, “It takes a lifetime for us to realize how important time is because that’s when we feel we’re running out of it.” just like how we instinctively notice how our clocks stop working but the whole entire time we were just oblivious to the fact that it was working. Its just human nature to take things for granted until we start realizing that what we thought would last forever doesn’t really turn out that way. It is a given that we run out of time each and everyday but still that is not enough reason to get us humans to start living each day to the fullest, we drawn to tangible things, we want to see before we can actually believe. The biggest problem is not that we’re not built to understand that we will no longer be. I mean people are dying every day, something as big as death doesn’t just pass by without notice. We can imagine how not being is its just that we are governed by a force that is: at a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what’s happening to us, and our lives become controlled by fate.
Sure we see it, but that doesn’t mean we can easily internalize it.
I am unconcerned with linear time. The only thing that causes me to consider it is appointments. The length of things that annoy most people such as traveling and waiting in line have zero affect on my patience. Another thing is the feeling of wasted time when you fail to get something done because you were too overwhelmed to get started. I do what’s set before me. I allow myself to say, “It’s good enough” and avoid the wasted time that perfectionism causes. And, for big projects that seem daunting, I break them down into small manageable steps giving myself permission to take breaks and start the next step later. I celebrate the completion of each step. This spurs me on to complete another. With all of that said, I work on staying in the present moment being mindful of the experience–what do I see? What do I hear, what do I smell, what do I taste, how does what my body is touching (hands, feet, skin all over) feel? How do all of these factors make me feel inside (physically, emotionally)? That’s how I make the best use of my time.
That’s amazing! This has always been your perspective?
No. This came about when I was in my 40’s.
It’s all about one’s decisions. Thank you for the wonderfully written post. – letstalkaboutpersonaldevelopment.blog
Thank you for reading and for sharing your kind words 🙂