The Injustice of Time

Sit still. Don’t move. Don’t think about the past or future. Forget about all that needs done and focus on the here and now…. Just (Inhale…). Breathe(…Exhale).


Having hardly rested in days and having just got off work from the early morning, I was on my way to my second business meeting of the week, and had about an hour and half before I had to be clocked-in at my next job to close. Then, after work later that night, I knew I had a ton of work to get done on my computer. The clock was ticking and I could have sworn it was ticking synonymously with my heart. As I looked out my window at the line of cars in front of me and the traffic light still on red, I realized that in that exact moment in time, I was forgetting something quintessential to life and to the journey I was on. I was so focused on the final outcome, deadlines and time constraints that I was forgetting to stop, stand still, and enjoy the moment.


Life as we know it stops for no one. It doesn’t cater to our deadlines, nor does it care if we overload our schedule and miss out on getting adequate rest. It has its own agenda, and we are just along for the ride catering to It. Time is selfish and doesn’t allow us to press pause whenever we might need a time-out. Time is elusive and presents us with the gift of present each and every second with no intervention. How we choose to value this time is up to us, for it is going to pass regardless of our deepest thoughts or desires. Time is our foundation, our platform, and if we are to live to be the best we can be, we need to take full advantage of each moment we are given and never feel that we have to look back longing for more. We just, simply, don’t have enough time for that.


Sometimes it can be easy to take time for granted because it is something we adapt to and something we build each day of our lives around. When we begin to take Time into consideration and really realize and accept that it truly isn’t for or against us, we can live each day appreciating the process of time versus wanting to jump too far ahead or behind the 'here and now'. If there’s one thing Time doesn’t care about it’s... how we spend ours.


That busy day, I found myself unappreciative to what I was being given at that present moment. I had just got out of a job that I absolutely love, was going on an amazing business meeting, was going back to another job I love just as much as the first, and later I was to work on a couple projects I had made the decision to do because they supported my future endeavors and because I enjoyed doing them. I had put time against me instead of realizing that time just exists and that it is the same for everyone.


That same day right around this same time, I had received a text from my good friend, Daniel Howell, who was out of town visiting his grandfather. If there is one thing I always gain from Daniel, it’s inspiration. He is one of the hardest workers I have ever met and sometimes when I see all that he does, I get a new perspective and jump-start on my own life. As a Licensed Massage Therapist, a Registered Dietitian, AND a Certified Personal Trainer for both is own business (Triple Threat Wellness) as well as operating out of different facilities all around Vegas, Daniel is always, always on the go. His work ethic is exceptional and anyone around him can voucher that you can always learn something new from being around him. This day, Daniel wasn’t working and was instead spending time, out of town, with his grandfather who is older and retired. His text just simply alluded to the fact that it was a nice change of pace to just take a step back and enjoy living life at a different pace, in a different light than the chaos he is used to. In this case, it was his grandfather’s. When you are constantly on the go, you get into a routine of being constantly on the go and both your mind and body can’t comprehend the true meaning of ‘stopping to smell the roses’. There is really no such thing as a 'day off' for people like Daniel, and I find myself falling into that trap sometimes as well.


Being in the fitness industry or any industry involving art (music, acting, theatre, etc.) and making a career out of it is a huge risk to partake in, a lot of work, and (best of all) a huge reward when done right. I feel blessed everyday to be able to do what I love as my ‘career’. It rarely feels like ‘work’ (even with time constraints) because it is something I fully enjoy doing. When you are submerged daily in your greatest passions, you don’t and can’t really separate yourself from work like most people aspire to do because your ‘work’ is, essentially, YOU and not... well… ‘work’. I find a common ground between like-minded people in this profession where you truly work so much doing what you love for the sake of other people that it can be too easy to lose track of putting some of that focus back into yourself to do something you enjoy outside of work. In regards to myself, I forget I am working because (and this is the honest truth) even if I wasn’t getting paid for what I do, I would still be doing it any spare second I could get. It’s just not an option in my mind, nor will it ever be. A part of me feels selfish already for insisting on being persistent in making fitness my life and not settling for anything less, and I find that when I actually get a day ‘off’, I don’t know what to do with myself or my time because it is such a big part of me that I cannot separate myself from it and end up ‘working’ anyways. The fine line between work and play can be extremely conflicting, and although this doesn’t sound like such a bad thing (and believe me...it’s not!), you can’t give more than you have or have been given. One of my friends said it best in that, “Sometimes you have to be selfISH in order to be selfLESS.” I never really valued this until I heard it put in this manner, and it truly is something to think about and to live by. Even when you love what you do everyday, it is still important to do something for YOU once and a while. It’s important to give to yourself just as much as you give to others and to be receptive when others try to give to you. If this means doing something completely un-work related, then sometimes this is what needs done. This is something Daniel really realized on that day, and it’s a battle I am constantly working to improve in my own life. Working from a young age, and working many of those years with multiple jobs, I have learned what and where hard work will get you and it’s extremely difficult for me to not be constantly invested in what I'm doing.


This Thanksgiving, I had the day off. I had the entire day off, and I didn’t know what to do with myself. Even my main priorities for that day were un-work related and I found myself, once again, feeling guilty that the day would go by and I wouldn’t have anything productive to show for it. So, I found myself on my computer that morning trying to get some work done and responding to emails and messages. Then I went to support the guys at Kaizen Crossfit as they defeated their opponents in the Turkey Bowl flag-football game held in a park near my house. After that was over, I came home and did a little more light work and got ready to accompany my roommate to the dinner we were invited to at an older couple’s house in Anthem. I had never met them prior and although I was really looking forward to it, I still felt that nagging thought in the back of my head telling me that I should be working instead of going to dinner.


As we pulled up to the house, I was already in amazement as it was just gorgeous. Perched up on a hill overlooking a golf course, pond and the beautiful Las Vegas Strip,and in a pretty secluded area that didn't feel like the city, this was truly a beautiful property. Inside the house was even more enticing as the entire ambiance had a very vintage and Victorian look to it, and smelled like Heaven with the food cooking. The couple who owned the house were just lovely people who introduced themselves to me as Mary-Louise and Henry, and I immediately felt right at home (they WERE from my home state, Pennsylvania, after all!). Remarkably, Mary-Louise’s 86 year-old mother was in town visiting and I found myself listening to her talk for hours that night. She told me the most incredible stories about her life, where she’s from, and just packed my brain full of enough wisdom to last for a long time to come. Daniel’s message from just days before resonated with me as I was able to just be around and enjoy time spent with my roommate, a retired couple and an older woman who lived life at a much slower pace than what I am used to being around, and who had more than enough time to cook an absolutely astonishing meal. As I stuffed myself full, I really felt thankful for each moment I have been given and was able to really just sit back and ‘smell the roses’ (or in this case… turkey and pumpkin pie). It really was refreshing to be in their company and to have that moment to breathe and just be surrounded by great company (and amazing food!), and all thoughts of guilt rushed away in a hurry.


What we have to realize is that there is no use blaming Time for what needs or doesn’t need done and by when and where. Life is too short to let us pass by and we should instead be focused on appreciating the processes we work on to get to our final outcome. The process is just as important as the outcome itself and we need to be able to step back and enjoy each step we take up the ladder to success in whatever endeavor we are trying to accomplish because only then will we be able to effectively ‘give’ ourselves to our tasks or to others. When we don’t take adequate time for ourselves, there is a chance we may not appreciate the precious time we are given and we may end up with resentment or regret towards Time itself, and to ourselves for not being ‘selfish’ enough with our time. Something that always helps me to take the next step (whatever it may be) is to always remember that we only get so much time and that we only have one life to spare. The seconds, minutes, hours and days we expend, we can never return to or hold onto again. Focus on the process and the journey. Does time not exist so everything isn’t required to happen at once?


Remember, you have to be selfish before you can be selfish and that time stands still for no one. Seize each day and each moment and be cognizant of how you exert your time for there are no second chances. Don’t just let them pass you by… Smell the roses.


Until next time, Faithful Reader…


“All we have to decide is what to do with the time we are given.”
-Gandalf to Frodo, The Fellowship of the Ring (movie)


“Don’t count every hour in the day, make every hour in the day count.”
-Unknown


“Yesterday is a canceled check; tomorrow is a promissory note; today is the only cash you have - so spend it wisely”
-Kay Lyons


“But what minutes! Count them by sensation, and not by calendars, and each moment is a day.” -Benjamin Disraeli