A popular soap opera opened with these words, “Like the sands of the hour glass, so are the days of our lives.” Our lives have been referred to as a candle, a leaf on the wind, and a match that has been struck and will soon burn out. It is estimated that almost 7,500 people die every day in the United States and 151,000 every day in the world. Whether you are 16 or 86 your days are numbered, and the clock is ticking. My father, a former sergeant in the Army, used say, “make every move count” and my scoutmaster, a former sergeant in the Marines, used to tell us to “get the lead out.” I don’t know what is weighing you down, holding you back, or causing you to waste time by turning in circles, but it is time to get busy living our lives as a story well told.
When we have a goal that we want to accomplish time becomes precious. When our life has a purpose to fulfill before dying, it is critical that we use the time we have wisely. Our lives do not have to be “a tale told by an idiot” as Shakespeare’s Macbeth said, and we can shine bright enough to leave a powerful afterglow in the world before our ‘brief candle’ goes out. Each one of us has 24 hours in a day, if we discipline ourselves and use our time wisely, we will be successful in leaving the gift of a life well used to those who live on after we are gone. If we are disciplined for success our contribution to the world will inspire and encourage others to see every tick-tock of the clock as a gift, to be spent in life and served in death.