Inspiration

How Time Changes Throughout Your Life

What should you expect as you age?

How and when do you see your time coming to an end? Chances are, the older you get, the more you think about it. Why is this so? Let’s examine time and age to better understand how they work together.

The flow of time

In the following, I will give a snapshot of what I consider an ordinary life filled with the good, the bad, and the ugly. No two lives are comparable, but we can learn lessons from anyone. This snapshot is personal as it is my life! I do not seek any praise or sympathy and only hope you can take a few of the things I have learned in my long life and put them to good use.

“We must not allow the clock and the calendar to blind us to the fact that each moment of life is a miracle and mystery.” H. G. Wells (1866–1946)

Do you recall the seemingly endless summers of youth? How about how long the years lasted in your teens and becoming a young adult? I remember starting to pay attention to time when I got married at 19 and had a kid at 21. Suddenly time became more relevant, as did my career. It was then it occurred to me I was becoming part of the “establishment,” the countercultural movement we railed against in the 60s. Man, was I getting old! Yet I was still only in my 20s!

By the time I hit my 30s, I had started noticing how much more quickly time was flowing. At 39, we became empty-nesters when our daughter went off to college. I thought about how old we were. Little did I realize I was barely beginning life! After the death of a friend, I started thinking more about time and my eventual mortality. Unfortunately, the thoughts were usually fleeting.

Fast forward to 50, and I remember feeling like I was 30 physically but sharper mentally. I also noticed time was moving much more quickly. I still had little concern about it. After all, I still had many good years ahead. Or so it seemed.

The following year, at 51, disaster struck, shaking my world to its core. Charlotte, my wife of 32 years, was diagnosed with cancer and given three to five years to live. I recall thinking at least she had some time. I focused on her living for at least another five years, which was not to be.

Six months after the diagnosis, she died. The cancer had metastasized, and the doctor said it spread rapidly through her body because of her “young” age. In some ways, those six months lasted an eternity because of her unbearable pain and the constant care she needed. I have never felt so helpless and tried everything I could to save her.

Time continued to drag by for the first few weeks after her death. I had closed my business to care for her and had to decide what to do with my life. My concept of time changed drastically at that point. In fact, many things changed for me.

Since then, I have seen time, work, relationships, possessions, and life differently. I now understand how precious time is and value it far more than I could have otherwise.

What is time like in your 60s and beyond? It goes by even faster. So fast, some weeks seem like days!

Another life-altering event happened when I hit 62. The last thing I or anyone expected was that I would have a heart attack. I was physically active and fit, working out regularly, running many events, sprint triathlons, and 150-mile bike races. I was far more fit than I was at 30 when I started exercising regularly.

If you know me, when I do something, I go for broke. I not only had one but four widowmakers that day! A widowmaker is a very different kind of heart attack. I still have no clogged arteries, although I now have two stints. My doctor said plaque came off a damaged part of an artery and completely blocked my blood flow.

Having always had normal cholesterol and blood pressure, I had no way of suspecting such a thing could happen. Especially after passing a nuclear stress test only a few years earlier with flying colors! Fortunately, I needed no bypass surgery or pacemaker. Although I live with heart damage and can no longer run, bike, lift, and swim like I used to, I am thankful to be alive and reasonably healthy. But boy, do I miss a good run!

Many years after the event, time is flying ever faster. I wish I had taken that old saying “stop and smell the roses” more seriously.

“Time is free, but it’s priceless. You can’t own it, but you can use it. You can’t keep it, but you can spend it. Once you’ve lost it you can never get it back.” Harvey Mackay (1932-present)

Dealing with time

“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” J. R. R. Tolkien (1892–1973)

I adjure you to use your time wisely. Give it thought before it is too late. You can make the best use of every day by becoming intentional, recognizing your remaining time on earth is short. Very short. And it only goes by quicker and gets shorter the longer you live.

Some say this life is all there is, but I prefer to believe its end will be the beginning of a far better life for those who believe. As a Christian, I am glad I have the promise of eternity. I have hope for today and tomorrow. Without that hope, what meaning can life contain? Whether you believe as we do or not, time will reveal the truth; you can be certain of that!

Two major life lessons I have learned in the past few decades include:

• The tremendous value of appreciation. You can choose to live with a negative or positive attitude. When you begin appreciating what you have and your uniqueness, your life can only change for the good. The more you show appreciation, the more value it brings into your life. As I often say, what you appreciate, appreciates! Being thankful and appreciating life makes every day a new opportunity. Aren’t you incredibly grateful for that?
• The tremendous value of relationships. During my long life, I have begun to understand the importance of relationships. Without them, you can lose hope and purpose. Relationships are life itself, so work to make yours as good as possible. You can start this by showing appreciation to those you care about most. Why not do it daily and enjoy the tremendous benefits this act will bring into your life?

Final thoughts

May you realize the importance of time, appreciate what you have remaining, and create a fulfilled life full of amazing relationships. The sooner you do this, the more you will become inspired to use your remaining time wisely.

Time is precious. Life can change instantly, so please cherish what you have left. Scripture alludes to the fact that “no man is promised tomorrow.” How true, as who knows what tomorrow will bring.

I wish you a long, healthy, and good life and leave you with the wisdom of a great American inventor, industrialist, and author who inspired this article:

“One realizes the full importance of time only when there is little of it left. Every man’s greatest capital asset is his unexpired years of productive life.” Paul W. Litchfield (1875–1959)

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Bill Abbate Leadership Writer and Editor in ILLUMINATION

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