This is a precious prompt from the DecemberReflections 2016 challenge. We consider so many things and people precious in our lives and justifiably so. This year my family and my closest friends were precious beyond words. But just one thing stood out for me.
When I left my corporate job earlier this year, I did so knowing that the road ahead was always going to be uncertain. I wasn’t sure of what I wanted to do but I knew that I didn’t want to continue doing what I was doing. It would have been easy to give into the fear of the unknown and continue staying with my cushy job. I chose to struggle. Has that made me better? Has that taught me? It has shown me every vulnerable cell in my soul. But leaving my job showed me something very precious and one that I had taken for granted till then: Time.
As the year draws to a close, I know that Time, like Hardy said, is really our master. But it need not be so always. We can choose to fill our Time in life with what moves us the most, what brings us joy. Always, I ask myself: Does this bring me joy? I found that answers to that question alone bring us peace. After leaving my corporate job, I suddenly found time to go running, to work out twice a day if I wanted to. I had time to spend with my family when they needed me and not necessarily on the weekend. My life was no longer about just waiting for 5 days to pass so that I could look forward to the weekend. I threw away my watches. I have no clock in my house. I learned to love all that Time was giving me. I was able to go traveling when I felt like. I had time to meditate. Does this mean that we all have to leave our corporate lifestyles to do what we love? No.
It just means this:
- Our time is really precious.
- Choose your moments with love.
- Understand that time makes everything transitory. The biggest fight. The greatest breakup. The worst career move. Time moves them through her fingers and it is just sand again on the beach.
- Because Time doesn’t last, make the people in your life last.
That’s how Time is the most precious discovery for me this year.
