Some of us think that life is measured in time – that’s why they’re very careful with how they spend it.

Most jobs are paid by the hour: an hour of work you provide or receive is worth a certain amount of money. So, according to the simple rules of math, if Life equals Time, and Time equals Money, therefore, Life must equal Money… it’s no surprise! Some have realized this, and are still happy with the ‘deal’ they got. Others have come to the same conclusion but aren’t as happy with their ‘deal’. And the majority are trapped in this merciless, joyless, life-less concept, without even being aware of their entrapment!

When you meet someone for the first time, the first thing you are asked, usually, is: “What do you do in life?” Meaning that the person asking wants to know what kind of job you have, what kind of family you have, what kind of possessions you have, what is your social status, where and how you spend your ‘time’, and so on.

Once they get the answer, they automatically, almost mechanically and unawarely, judge, stamp and box you according to their own personal, cultural or religious standards, expectations, and experiences in life.

But life is so intangible!

The first thing we do when we are born is to breathe, and it will be the last thing we do before we leave our bodies for good; and in-between we continue to breathe constantly, effortlessly, and even thoughtlessly.

Thus, our lives are better measured by the number of breaths we take between our birth and our death. It’s a very subtle process, yet we need a body to experience it. In fact, it is the only way to experience it! And when we leave our bodies, we don’t take it with us. Neither do we take time, money, social status, job, or any worldly materials we accumulated during our lifetime.

Time is very precious, but it also comes in abundance, if we believe so. Time is the greatest and most valuable gift you can ever offer; to yourself, your spouse, your child; to a peaceful cause you believe in; or simply doing an act of kindness to a total stranger. It is easy for people to give money; small or big amounts, each according to his/her financial capabilities. Still, the majority of us are very scarce when it comes to time.

We have voicemail because we don’t have time to answer phone calls, let alone visit someone! We have assistants at work, be it humans or machines, in order for us to multi-task and do more, because we believe the more we do, the more successful we are! We hire help at home to help us with daily chores or with raising our children. When we pass someone in the street, someone who seems to be going through tough times, suffering a mental or physical illness, or even an animal in distress, we hardly notice them, and if we do, we usually have no time for them. The most generous of us will spare some coins, throwing it into the cup or hat in front of these unfortunate beings, without even making a simple eye contact!

Stop. Breathe. Look around. Be grateful for what you have, and love. Love unconditionally, because there is abundance in everything… including time.

But like everything else in life, you can’t take anything for granted, and time is not an exception. Life can change, or end, in less than a second. Don’t waste any more ‘time’ waiting to get somewhere or to achieve something in order to start living life. The secret to happiness is to live life genuinely and authentically, to be true to yourself, to be where your heart desires to be, to be with the ones whom you long to be with, to simply BE. Time is the ultimate gift you can give and receive; so invest it and use it joyfully and wisely: because your time, always, starts NOW …

With love and gratitude always,
Norah Solomon