“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life”
This profound observation by Steve Jobs, the founder and CEO of the Apple and Pixar companies, stands out as perhaps the finest advice that can be given to anyone seeking to find himself. Jobs, who is considered to be among the most successful, most aggressive, and most admired of the ‘technology entrepreneurs’, spent his whole life guided by the principle of spending all the time available to him in the pursuit of his own dreams. As a result, the success of his work and of his reputation, by any measure, ranks high among the most admired entrepreneurs the world has ever produced.
Time, like life itself, is a most fascinating commodity. It cannot be seen or touched, but yet it can be readily identified, measured, and made use of. No one has ever been able to understand it, or to try to influence its fundamental nature in any way. Yet it can be readily recognized by its effects on people and events, and by comparing it with other physical phenomena. And, even further, despite on-going extensive and intensive attempts to do so, no one so far, has been able to replicate or modify its activity.
It is a phenomenon of continuous change through which we live our lives on earth, and is only evident to us by way of the changes and forces with which it is associated. In effect, it is a constant and predictable progression of events from the past to the present into the future that does not have an independent existence as such. It is a standard unit of motion which appears to reflect and represent the constantly changing universe. These changes continue in cyclical patterns and include such easily recognizable events as night and day, sunrise and sunset, change in seasons, and the visible movements of the celestial bodies.
The human brain is capable of perceiving and tracking time via a special group of sensitive nuclei which release neurotransmitters that influence the perception of changes in time, and in the body’s circadian rhythm. Upon their release, the neuro-chemicals work by stimulating the neurons to increase activity, speed up perception, and alter thought production to give the impression of time speeding up. Conversely, when the stimulations are decreased, the perception of time is slowed down and time feels slower.
But time itself does not change, only the brain’s perception changes. Whenever time appears to be speeding up, it is a reflection of the fact that the brain is actually processing more thoughts, and exerting more energy, and when time seems to be slow, the brain is processing slower. This is the basis of how we are able to perceive time passing, for while its own progression is always constant and unchanging, our mental state at that time, determines whether it is moving faster or slower. This is the clear implication contained in the following very popular statement:
“Time moves slowly when we are idle, and much faster when we are busy.”
The
prominent Christian evangelist, Franklin Graham, the eldest son, and
successor to the great American evangelist, Billy Graham, very wisely
noted in one of his sermons that:
“Time is like a river. You cannot touch the same water twice,
because the flow that
has passed, will never pass again.”
The truth in this statement rings out in
every aspect of our living. For even as time continues to incessantly flow at
its own unchanging pace, it is left entirely up to each one of us to use it as
we please. We may choose to drift along at a slow, unproductive pace, allowing
the river to carry us where it chooses, or we may even choose to just stand
still, as if frozen in time, and be content to lay the blame for our failures
and our lost opportunities on the doorstep of lost time.
Far
too many of us have spent our lives yearning to be like others, trying to copy
them and wasting valuable time following them. Instead of trying to find our
own needs and our capabilities, we prefer to spend the time in hopeful
anticipation of ‘luck’ or ‘chance.’ And, rather than finding the effort needed
to make full use of our time, we are content to sit back and admit to failure. -
For all of these many instances, time is wasted and useless!
To
make full use of time however, does not require any special qualities or
experience, but it insists on commitment and on constant dedication. Every
individual who was ever able to successfully harness time to do his bidding and
to achieve his goals, did so, not by conquering and overpowering time, but by
successfully harnessing and managing its power to improve the quality of life. Since,
without question, time and life are both deeply intertwined and mutually
interdependent, it is clear that anyone hoping to influence one of them, must
also influence the other, as this Unknown Author correctly observed:
“Life teaches us the value of time, and
Time teaches us the value of Life.”
Another
consideration is that time has no favorites, nor does it ever wait for anyone.
It demands that any action contemplated must be done on its own terms, and not
when it is convenient to be used. And those who, for any reason, think
otherwise, will certainly pay the price in regret and in disappointment. This I
believe was what Kevin Ngo, a very successful Chinese-American
motivational teacher was alluding to, when he advised:
“If you don’t make the time for the life you
want, you’re eventually going to be forced to spend a lot of time dealing with
the life you don’t want.
Time, viewed from any angle, is the
underpinning of life, and we can only improve our life and our opportunities,
when we learn to make full use of our time. Every person who has been able to successfully
harness time and achieve their goals, must exhibit a number of clearly demonstrable
qualities. These include such qualities as clarity of purpose and intent, without
which there will be no clear goal or aspiration. There must be ambition and
confidence that will withstand the many trials and uncertainties along the
way, and a willingness to accept and overcome failures. There must also
be a focused discipline, concentration and patience, without which there
will be no consistency and a readiness to give up. With these fully
utilized, time becomes an ally, and will it even appear to speed up. But in
their absence, time will become an obstacle and stumbling block, and life
itself slows down.
St.
Paul in his letter to the Ephesians 5:15-17, in his profound wisdom,
actually warned us of the dangers inherent in the poor use of time when
he stated
“Look carefully then, how you walk; not as
unwise but as wise, making the best use of time, because the days are evil.
Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
-No better advice can ever be given to anyone seeking to make full use of his time allotted on this earth. For indeed, failing to make full use of one’s time, or wasting it on the altar of inconvenience, is truly evil!
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