Dear Mr. Self Development,

Lately I’ve been depressed about getting older, is there any advice you can give me?

Christy

Christy, not too long ago one of my friends was complaining about getting older.  This article is a brief re-cap of that conversation based on my thoughts concerning aging. 

My friend was complaining about the idea of getting older and having wrinkles, etc.  However, I believe it is equally beneficial to be young as it is to be old.  There are benefits on both sides of the spectrum; one does not outweigh the other.

Being young is like having a billion dollars; being very old is like having spent that billion dollars.  Neither is inherently good or bad in and of itself.  What can make someone regret getting older is how they are spending their life.  If you are squandering your time, then you are squandering your life, and consequently you may have feelings of regret.

(Now, of course your time is more valuable than a billion dollars, it’s priceless, but I will use this dollar figure for illustration purposes.)

An Example

When you make good decisions with your money, you create assets; the money is never really wasted but traded for something of value, and more importantly traded for something you value more than the money itself. 

It works the same way with your time

When you invest in yourself by reading good books, and/or invest in your dreams; the benefits that you receive will be far greater than the passage of time.  When you are able to look back over the years and see the wonderful children that you’ve raised, the husband that you’ve married, the finances you’ve been able to give away, the lives that you have touched, the dreams that you have fulfilled, you will see the value of the “passing of time.”  Without this passage of time, none of these great things could have been accomplished.

The Problem and the Solution
 
The problem arises when you get older and you’re still pregnant with potential.  You have not yet traded your time for the things you value.  And while all time spent is valuable, (even the “so-called” bad experiences) you will further appreciate the passage of time when you focus your precious gifts on the dreams that are most important to you. 

The “time” will past, your billion dollars will be spent; it would be wise to spend your life dedicated to the things that mean the most to you; to consciously spend your days.  Don’t squander your time like some people squander their money; with nothing to show for it.  Decide today to make each of your precious days worthwhile, don’t spill a moment of your priceless time; don’t spoil a minute regretting past mistakes.  The reality is you are more relevant because of the mistakes that you’ve made, so don’t regret them.
 
If you feel like you have wasted a lot of your time, and are spending your billion dollars foolishly, remember, every moment is an opportunity to turn it all around.  As long as you’re breathing, you have time to make a difference in the world. Use your time like the precious commodity it is; trade it wisely and the passage of time will be a beautiful, wonderful thing.

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