Time – why we must use it wisely

YourLifeChoices regular Peter Leith is 93, legally blind and has hearing difficulties. But he’s a master of strong opinion and thoughtful observations.

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In Shakespeare’s Richard II, the king himself utters the sad words:

I wasted time, and now doth time waste me

How true is that – for all of us?

Which of us has never used phrases like ‘the time dragged on’ or ‘I had trouble filling in the time’?

From a very early age, we learn to be both impatient and bored. We have ‘time on our hands’, nothing to do and time is a burden.

We have little or no awareness of the fact that time itself is a finite commodity, that it is not in everlasting and inexhaustible supply! 

Read: Why a thank-you card made Peter Leith cry

Immediate gratification is our preferred option.

Rudyard Kipling, in his thought-provoking poem If, wrote:

If you can fill the unforgiving minute

With 60 seconds worth of distance run,

Yours is the Earth and everything’s that’s in it

With ageing, there often comes an increased awareness of the fact that time is, and always has been, for each and all of us, a finite commodity in limited supply.

Read: Who’s guilty of talking without listening?

Not only is our individual supply of time limited, but we have little or no control over how much of it we have. We can, and sometimes do, take steps to avoid shortening our personal supply of time.

That’s why activities like swimming with the sharks is to be avoided. But there always remains an element of uncertainty. None of us know, with any degree of accuracy, how much time we have left.

Is the clock ticking for you? Have you become more aware of the importance of time? Why not share your thoughts in the comments section below?

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