He is wise. He is methodical. He is always onto the next big idea. He is my brother, from the same mother, not to be confused with my brother, from another mother. Anyways, from the mouth of my brother, Dustin, “You can always make more money, but never make more time.” I’ve been stuck on this phrase for at least 4 years. Wait, college was how long ago? I remember the first time he said it sitting over a plate of Thai cuisine, and I physically felt the lightbulb click on above my head.
Click.
Whether you are running to your kids’ sports games or just conversing over beers in a friend’s garage, time evades us. Before we know it, it’s 5 o’ clock somewhere or 18 years later you’re sitting at high school graduation. The miles spent traveling to watch another loss. The pages flipped to study for another exam. The extra pound added to laugh for 10 more minutes with a White Claw in your hand. These actions seem like a big decision at the time, but they quickly turn into distant, thankful memories. I’ve never regretted going somewhere. Sure, track practice was a struggle each and every day but the memories of cutting across the football field at a full sprint to be one inch closer to our final destination of the local feedlot is too beautifully, stained in my nostrils to ever forget. Traveling to the State of Washington during a pandemic wasn’t the best experience, but a learning adventure none-the-less. Every action or decision in our life has its consequences and rewards. Your personal mentality chooses which side to recognize.
How many times have you sat behind a computer screen debating those concert tickets? How many times have you monitored flight prices? Let’s be honest, how many times have you marked “maybe” on a Facebook event even though you have no intention on going? Money is just paper which is quite a statement spoken from the girl who never buys anything full priced and throws her trash in random dumpsters. (For legal purposes, that’s a joke.) Truthfully, in the grand scheme of things, what is money? You can’t take it with you when you go and if you are dedicated, you can always make more cha-ching in your pocket. However, that’s not the same scenario for time. Even writing this blog, I’ve lost an hour of the day that I could of spent making a memory. It’s not easy to recognize the importance of time because it’s not tangible. More realistically, you don’t reap the benefits quite the same way as paying off your car or buying a week's worth of groceries. I understand that children aren’t cheap, addictions are strong, and money doesn’t grow on trees but be reflective on the gleeful time spent with those money suckers. You don’t have to buy the whole keg for only a couple red beers. Buy the tickets. Request your PTO. Spend money on something that makes you richer: time creating experiences.
Time Tells All
Unscripted, and beautifully said by my mother, “time tells all.” From the rumors at the local bar, to the regrets of not joining a road trip, time in the long run will reveal the truth. We’re they actually seeing each other? Did I really want to see Devil’s Tower in Wyoming? “Only time will tell” so give it the respect and admiration it presently deserves.
Tick Tock
I didn’t need to create several paragraphs exposing the value in time. Most of you knew that just by reading the subject line. My hope is that by reading this Times New Roman word vomit that you check your own clock. Worry about your own actions. Enjoy the life that has been artfully created around us. We don’t have an eternity to continue doing what we hate and ultimately, we only have seconds to waste. “We have our whole life to work,” said my friend, Kayla. So make your moments matter.
Love always, stop to take pictures of sunsets, and remember, you can always make more money, but you cannot make more time.
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