Time’s Greatest Illusion

The tragedy of life is time’s greatest illusion.

Time is fleeting but when most people realize this, they’re too old or too far gone from their dreams to ever recover.

As a child and teenager, time moves slowly. It seems to creep along and the days are never-ending. Each day, month, and year ticks off slowly one-by-one.

But then something changes without you even noticing.

Life starts accelerating rapidly in front of your eyes, yet you’re blind to see it. The weight of the world and the ever increasing load of responsibilities leaves most of us treading water and unavailable. We’re not there…reveling in every second…every moment.

In fact, most parents miss their children growing up, even though they see them everyday.

They say things like, “where did the time go” or “you grew up so fast.”

I have to be honest with you, this scares the hell out of me.

So everyday I choose to be different and fight against time.

I choose to live with urgency!

I choose to refocus on what is important to me everyday despite work, despite stress, despite negative people, and despite every obstacle.

And for me that means a recommitment to my family everyday. Because, when it comes down to it, they are the reason for everything I do.  #Familyfirst isn’t something I take lightly, it is something that is very real and has meaning.

What is important to you?

Why do you do what you do?

Have you forgotten your ‘why’?

Have you forgotten your commitment to those who have a say in your life?

Are you telling them how much they mean to you and inspiring them to be great?

A New Perspective

As I try to play a ‘trick’ on life and slow it down by eliminating distractions, I am able to notice very subtle things in the way my children live. They live without fear and without limitations. They live everyday without a care and they still dream. They dream of what they want to be ‘when they grow up’ and they feel they can be anything and everything.

They have hope and every possibility seems possible.

As I relearn these lessons, I try to remind everyone through my newsletter and on this site by saying:

“Live the life you want for your kids.”

or

“Live like your kids are taking notes on how they should live their lives.”

A New Lesson, A Revelation

This is important so listen up.

As I lived these mottos, I didn’t understand what they were telling me. That is, until I saw a note from Scott Sonnon on Facebook a few days ago. Scott’s simple message was so profound, that I wrote it down. I put it on a piece of paper so I wouldn’t forgot it.

He marveled that his “kids were teaching him how to live.”

This revelation gave me a new perspective and empowered me to look at my kids again. By refocusing my attention, I noticed new things.  It almost felt like a movie. Time slowed down, they moved in slow motion and the noise of life went silent.

Through their innocence, through their actions, through their fearlessness – they reminded me to:

– Never lose the connection with them

– To live my life as if I was a kid that had endless possibilities

– To unburden myself from the unneeded nonsense that comes adulthood and really live

– To not lose myself again

I ask you again, what is your ‘why’?

What inspires you?

What are your children teaching you that you might be missing?

Because the brutal reality is that time is constantly ticking away like a deafening metronome and you are going to miss EVERYTHING.