Time is not short, Only life life is"

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This mantra has followed me for years. l sign my emails, finish my articles with it and think about its meaning everyday. I am a mere 61 years old. I know what is waiting for me at the end of this journey we call life. I constantly look at what I have done. What I am doing. What I will do in the future. I go with open arms and happiness.

I will try to give you the best definition of "Time is not short, Only life is" I found this little saying when I was ten years old. I was a real smart ass when I was that age. I knew everything there is to know about life and no one could convince me otherwise.

I got in trouble in school one day. Rather than face the consequences of my actions I decided to run away. In the middle of winter no less. So I took my fathers shotgun and my dog and off we went. I went into the woods (actually a swampy area) and got lost. We had just moved to the area (it was country) and I knew nothing the area. It became dark and cold. It was November in Vermont. Then I came to a realization right then and there that time is not short. Because in my short life to that point everything had rushed by me like a freight train. Now time had come to screeching halt. It eventually became pitch black and I could barely make out the shadows of the trees. So I found a nice piece of ground laid down with my dog and waiting for my destiny.

It was cold and it started to snow. My dog was a lot smarter then me. He took off to who knows where. To this day I will never know. There were terrifying noises all around me through out the night. I was so cold I peed my pants to try and keep warm. Still time was not short. Time no longer existed for me. It was just darkness and the back round noise. Still I waited. It could have been days, hours, or weeks. I had no perception of time.

Then sometime in the night I looked into the darkness and saw a shadow moving toward me. Time had put it self back in fast forward and I said to myself was I going to be eaten alive. It finally reached me, I closed my eyes only to feel my dog licking my face. He had returned with a bone for me to eat with him. Nice thing about the bone it had been cooked.

Time began moving again because light was cutting its way through the forest. I knew I would be free soon. I had felt like a prisoner locked in a six by six cell all night. I had not moved an inch.

It had snowed that night and I walked out the next morning it six inches snow. (I later found out there had been 300 people looking for me on the wrong side of the swamp) I found a house and all the proper authorities were called and everyone was very happy with the outcome. I promised myself after that I would never get lost again anywhere (I never have) also I would no longer take time for granted.

I only tell this story because more often then not we all take time for granted. I think Jack London said it best: “The proper function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time.” I took this to heart and created "Time is not short, Only life is". We join a program in the hopes of becoming rich and successful like so many others. We work hard for a month and we see no results. We cry over spilled milk and we go to our next endeavor. We never look back because of our failures and we never look forward because of our lack of vision.

Use your time. Find your vision. I 100% know that my vision is here at Wealthy Affiliate. No matter how long it takes I will succeed. No matter how hard I need to work, the work will get done. If you are reading this and you are an affiliate here build a huge fire for yourself and those that are lost elsewhere on the internet. For those of you who have not found the shore yet look for our fire. Its here. It will always be here. Just remember "Time is not short, Only life is"

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Recent Comments

15

Great story and great analogy. Thanks

Good to meet you. Hope all is well.Time is not short only life is

I allways say, " that time waits for no one" Thank you for your tell I am at this time gatheing the logs and looking for the matches.

Thanks for the support. Hope all is well with you. Time is not short only life is

Gosh.You were very brave running away but then again that is something that children can do.They usually threaten do run away if they are not getting their own way,or sometimes because they are getting bullied,well it can be any reason really.
I can imagine at the age of 10 that is pretty scary,and to top it all running away in winter when the snow fell,but if you learned something from this experience then you are the winner.
I recall watching the film "White fang" ,the book was written by Jack London , good quote.

Stephen,
Thanks for the share, was a good read leaving the reminder that it is up to us to make our destiny !
Sami

Hi Stephan!

Thanks for sharing this....

Life IS short, no doubt...It is a reality I did not think about much years ago, more-so nowadays hehe...

If the perspective I have now had been applied to my actions years ago, I may have done things a bit differently,,,

Then again, maybe not...

I guess it boils down to this for me...

That was then, this is now...I can start new each day with a clean slate, no matter the past...

Learn from the stumbles, reminisce and enjoy those special moments I experienced, and apply the lessons, if any, to today...

Knowing that I am now a "teenager" of the old age era....Oooof....

A long time ago I read and studied textbooks about stages of a person's life...The last one is where I am at now, per that text...

Incomprehensible at that time, now...the same, I feel as if I am still 35!

You are right, time is not short, our life is...

So what we do with that time we are granted is SO important...

For me it amounts to this (Spoiler: Call To Action Coming!)....

Make a difference....Only this will truly stand the test of time

This is how to "live" on, far beyond your life!

A good thing, unless your making a difference is negative/destructive thing....then....not so much....

You decide...I decide.....We all decide...

Thanks for prodding me to do some critical thinking so early in the morning lol (I am on my second cup of coffee and starting to function as a human being again after a good night of sleep!)...

Cheers M8!!

Dave
: )

Making most to happen in life within the time of life you have to make up the time you have is the time for your life. That is why it is very important to make use of your time to do the things that matter's in life.
My opinion, life is not short and time is not short either. Your destiny is not another one's destiny and it is not who live longer on earth determines who have the longer live or the best life if you like to put it that way..
Life it's self has a calling and fulfillment. Some are made no matter what happened this one must reached the destined point. That's why it's like the good ones they said "it's doesn't last" but it's not because that it's doesn't last is the problem; it is because that people don't emulate to adopt some thing that their see that is good in other's that's why it's like the good one don't last.
It took Christ three years from the time he begun His ministry to the time He was crucify to do all the works that was need and he went back to His Father.
It took you from the time you were in the wood probably you were terrifying about the sound you said you've been hearing and you were imagining the scaring movies or stories you've heard and you concluded that you are were going to be the next to be eaten up. And at the end of the day you meet the people that were looking for you.
You are blessed because you are one of those that had their revolution at the early stage of life.
"LIVE your LIFE" at the "FULLNESS" every moment of your day and keep Thanking and Praising "HIM" all day long.

Very good Stephen. We should all at least try to build our fires for others to embrace like those before us built for us to enjoy

What a splendit post this is, thanks for sharing Stephen

Talk about a life's lesson at an early age. Wow. I was 13 before I thought I knew it all. Too afraid to run away though. Kudos to a great and touching article. Glad you found your way back home.

I am speechless. This is one of the best texts I have ever seen here at WA. Being unable to find words, I shall say only this: thank you man.

Thanks everyone I'm really very touched Really. "Time is not short, Only life is"

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