Before you waste any time — A speech by Jay Shetty
There are three things that control our lives. Time, Wealth and Health.
When we’re young, we have time. Time to play, Time to Explore, Time to Waste, Time to be curious. When we’re young, we generally have health, we have energy, we have strength. But most of us don’t have the world. We don’t have all the money in the world. We can’t buy everything we want. We don’t get everything we want.
As we get older, we still have our health. It may not be the same, but it’s still there. But we now have more wealth. We have more money, we have a home, we have devices and possessions, we have a car, and we have access to things. But we don’t always have time. Money can buy a house, but not a home. It can buy a bed, but not sleep. It can buy a book, but not knowledge. Money can earn a title, but not respect. It can buy a clock, but not time.
Those of us who think we have no time for our health, will sooner or later will have to find time for our illness.
When we’re young, we had time and health, but no money. When we we’re older, we have money and health, but no time. And finally in old age, we have money and time, but no health to use that wealth.
So, what do we do? We can have it all, just not all at the same time.
We place so much pressure on ourselves, trying to get everything to be perfect, trying to get everything to balance, trying to get everything to work together, not recognizing that it’s none of those thing that actually creates happiness, or fulfilment in life.
As we get older, time, health and wealth will all be taken away from us. But the one thing that can never be taken away from us is the impact we have on others, because it lives on through them.
Our health is the foundation of how we can build our time and wealth. And with our time and wealth there are two key principles. We become successful by what we get, but we become happy, by what we give. And what we give includes our time, our wealth, our energy. And when those things are used to make a positive difference in the lives of others, to help others move forward to make an impact, that legacy will never be taken away.
And as Maya Angelou said “People will forget what you said, People will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel”.