The Joy of Time
You're going to die. It might be a year. It might be 10, 20, 50 years down the road. But it's going to happen... you know this, right?
One would think that I would recognize this more than some people, as I have been close to death. (Read here) Ever since the crash, I wished that this near-death experience gave me some magical power to have the drive to do absolutely everything I ever dreamed of. To be at the top of my game, to be an amazing athlete who overcame injury or to become the most confident version of myself possible.
But.... here I am, a 35 year old single mom who works two jobs and is unhappy with her career choices. I'm not on stage, speaking every week to a different group of people about how I have overcome trauma in many different forms. I'm not a New York Times Bestselling Author, being invited on the Jay Shetty Podcast or to speak at an event that Rachel Hollis is putting on. I'm just this woman with a dream for the future, a past I'm not afraid of visiting, and dealing with the present as it comes at me 100 miles per hour.
Let's go back to the depressing way I started this post: You're going to die. Let's use the latest figure that came out today (February 18, 2021) about life expectancy in the USA: 77 years old. That's barring any unforeseen circumstances. So, let's say I live to be 77. That means I have 42 years left to live out my life. 42 years! Looks like I'm not even halfway through my life expectancy.
My point is this: most of us have ample time left to pursue our dreams. It doesn't matter if we're in our 20's or our 50's, our dreams don't have to age out. Graham Duncan coined the phrase "time billionaires."
A million seconds is 11 days. A billion seconds is slightly over 31 years… A time billionaire is someone young enough to have a billionaire or more of seconds left in their life... Time billionaires have the advantage of time.
Individuals in their 30's and 40's have a hard time making a change in careers. I know this is a general statement, but as people tend to get older, they begin to fear the change that can get them to their dreams. Like me, I had to take on two jobs to support myself and my son. I still have my dreams, but damn is it hard to chase them while trying to ensure I give a great life to my son.
There's a lot of fear involved in making a change. Even a slight change to how I spend my time can be scary and hard. Instead of watching tv at night, I can be writing. Instead of going to bed at 9, I can stay up one more hour to get business planning in. I can wake up at 5 am instead of 6 to journal, meditate, and plan my day. I know these don't sound scary, but when my usual routine changes, it throws me way off balance. I know I'm not alone in this!
I want to create a legacy. I want to be remembered for stepping out of my comfort zone, for working hard for my dreams. I know they won't just come to me. In order to make things happen, I need to focus. I need to get over the fears of change. I need to surround myself with people who are supportive of my dreams. I have the time, but as every second passes, I know that is one second I won't get back. You never know when you might be taken from this world. How are you going to use your remaining time?
Let me ask you this: how do you want others to remember you? After you're gone, do you want to be remembered as someone going after their dreams, being fearless, and continuously reaching for more, all while helping others up alongside you? Or do you want to be remembered for the person who sat at the same desk for 30 years, dreaming and dreaming, but never doing?