14 Years is a long time, right?
a story about the one thing you just can't afford to waste
Naura, my wife was showing me this Facebook Memory of Rudi when he was not even 1 year old yet. We were living in Singapore at the time, I was just a few years into my career and being a dad was a strange new experience.
Naura snapped this scene back then when Rudi took his first few assisted steps with his beloved, noisy plastic lawnmower toy.
It’s actually a short video, about 2 seconds after this scene you can see him slip and take a tumble, there is a sound of nervous exclamation followed by me leaping towards him to soften the fall.
Life was not totally easy then, I was in a job that did’t pay much, my career in sales had just started and as a little family, suddenly there were new types of costs like diapers and baby formula.
I can still feel the anxiety and pressure I put on myself “Eyes on the goal, Ben! Work hard, move up on the career ladder and make more $$$, You have a family now!” It felt like only the future mattered. Only more money mattered.
Here is Rudi a few days ago:
Yes, he’s grown. His lawnmower skills have improved too. In fact, he’s a teenager now, almost my height, wearing my gardening Crocs, voice low and manly. There is even the shade of a moustache starting to show.
As he’s out there, actually mowing the lawn, I catch myself thinking“Eyes on the goal, Ben! Work hard, make sure this child (and his little brother) will always have what they need. Make a lot of money to send them to university…”
And thats' when it hit me: almost 14 years have passed between these 2 photos and it felt just like the blink of an eye! tick... tock...Don’t get me wrong, I’ve grown a little smarter. I have started prioritizing what I want out of life instead of what I think “the usual path” is. I have left jobs that don’t fulfill me, despite the financial risks. I have stopped working crazy hours and actually be present with the people that matter to me. I have realized that the future is not guaranteed in any way and I need to balance the present with my future ambitions.
What it comes down to: I can’t buy time, thus I can’t afford wasting it on bullshit.
Neither do you! If you are stuck in a role, job, relationship or situation that does not serve you, doesn’t align with your core values, doesn’t grow you in meaningful ways. You will need to face it and take action. Today!
Your time is too precious to just keep trotting along, half alive, waiting for some imaginary “perfect place” to appear. A blink of an eye. 14 years. Tick.. Tock..
If you can afford 6min 53sec of your time today, put on your headphones, close your eyes and listen to this:
"And then one day you find ten years have got behind you No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun"
You disagree? Have a comment? Feel thoughtful? Call me! Let’s spend some of this lifetime together in a meaningful way in a conversation.
<3 Ben