You’ve probably heard the quote, “Life is short, but it’s the longest thing you’ll ever do,” but what does it mean?
Many people have different opinions about this saying. Some believe it’s because a human being has a short life span, but the legacies prolong the existence we leave behind.
One thing is for sure – the life you live between birth and death is the longest you make in life!
When We’re Young, Life Feels Like It’s the Longest Thing We’ll Ever Do
When we’re young, we have plenty of time ahead of us, many places to go, and many things to do. We have all the time in the world to figure out what we want to do with our lives. But as we age, that window of opportunity closes, and our perspective of time changes.
With age, we become more aware of how short life is and how quickly it can be taken from us. That’s why it’s essential to spend your time doing the things that matter most to you – especially when you’re young. You don’t want to look back on your life and wish you had done more with it.
As We Get Older, Life Feels Much Shorter
When you’re young, it often feels like you’ll have plenty of time. As we get older, time seems to pass much faster because there’s so much less of it. So we start to appreciate every simple pleasure, like listening to a song we love, appreciating our favorite cookies, eating them slowly, and enjoying each moment of happiness. We start to live more in the present moment and be more content, just be human beings.
We realize that we don’t have as many years ahead of us as we used to, which means that every day seems more precious than ever. When our time on this earth is measured in years instead of decades, every second counts – and every missed opportunity weighs heavily.
When You’re in Your 20s or 30s, Each Year Seems Like an Eternity; Then, When You’re 50 or 60, Each Year Has Become Much Shorter Because So Much Has Happened!
It may seem strange at first glance (or even at a second glance), but this phenomenon occurs regularly in people from all walks of life: People who’ve been married for decades suddenly realize how quickly their children have grown up; parents watch their children leave home within a few years of dropping them off at college; friends who haven’t seen each other in ages are amazed at how much the other has gained (or lost) over time.
Sometimes Time Feels Long; Sometimes It Passes Very Quickly
Our perception of time is a strange thing. Sometimes we feel like we’ve all the time in the world, and sometimes we have nothing to do but watch our lives pass.
This Is Because Our Perception of Time Often Depends on Our Situation
When we’re bored and waiting for an important thing – a date or an important meeting, for example – every minute seems to last forever, and killing time feels like the biggest challenge. Or when we have tooth pain, that tooth pain can feel like an eternity.
But when something exciting is happening – like a great party or an interesting movie – those sixty seconds fly by without us even noticing them.
Our perception of time can also be affected by how much energy we’ve at any moment. When you’re exhausted or stressed, your brain perceives any activity as taking longer than it does; when you’re relaxed and happy, everything seems to take less effort and go faster.
Time Is Precious. Every Hour Is an Hour of Life
Time is precious. We have a wonderful thing that we know won’t last forever. It’s a gift, and how we use it’s also our gift.
If You’re Not Careful, Life Can Pass You by Before You Know It
Most people don’t realize they’ve wasted their entire day until the next morning when they look back on their actions the previous night and see how much they could’ve done instead of what they did.
I’m not suggesting that everyone should live like a monk or follow a strict schedule with every minute of the day planned out in advance. But I do encourage everyone – especially those of us who get caught up in the hustle and bustle of life – to take the time to pause and smell the roses along the way.
We Often Think We’re Living, but Are We Living?
We live in a society where everything is about materialism and consumption. We’re so caught up in the material world that we forget to live in the present moment. We’re constantly thinking about what we want next or what happened yesterday, last year, or even ten years ago.
Only when you stop and look around do you realize how beautiful life is? Even if you’re having a bad day, there’s always something positive to look forward to. You just have to find it!
Life is all about moments; each moment brings us closer to death, yet individually they seem so insignificant. Putting all those moments together adds up to a lifetime of memories you can reflect on before your time is up. And those memories will stay with you forever, no matter how old or young you are.
The only thing that matters is how well you lived every moment of your life. If you’ve spent every day worrying about what’s going to happen tomorrow, you’re not living in the present moment.
For example, many people put career above friendship, tears, and sorrow above happiness, addiction above a healthy lifestyle and exercise until they realize they have cancer or that their life span is coming to an end and that human life is the most beautiful thing that could have happened to them. Still, they were never content with what they’d.
There’s Nothing Wrong With Living Life to the Fullest
You can’t live a life without regret. It just doesn’t work that way.
Most people’s main regret at the end of their life is things they didn’t do. Life is too short to wait for the perfect moment to do the things you want to do.
For me, it was traveling. I was afraid to leave home because I was afraid of being alone or the unknown. But when I finally took my first trip abroad, a light bulb went on in my head, and I realized that life is precisely what it’s all about!
That doesn’t have to mean travel is for you. Maybe you want to learn a new skill or have always wanted to be an artist. Whatever it’s, once you experience something new, you’ll never look back. Life is full of great experiences if you’re willing to have them.
Don’t Let Others Stop You – Do What Makes You Happy!
There will always be people who don’t understand or approve of your choices, no matter what you decide to do. If you have kids, of course, you’ve responsibilities, and if you dream of moving out from the United States and leaving everything behind, that’s not a good idea, but if you’re free and can afford it, it’s the perfect time to try it.
The point is that sometimes we let other people’s opinions keep us from doing what makes us happy. We’re afraid of being judged, so we take a safe path even though so many opportunities are waiting for us.
Maybe human life is the longest thing you’ll ever experience, but you don’t have all the time in the world to accomplish everything you want. So make the most of it if you can!
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