What would you do if you only had today?
Who would you want to see? Where would you want to be? What would you spend your time doing? What message would you share? What would you want to experience? How would you act?
A few months ago, a YouTube video called “The Time You Have Left” went viral. It showcases how we live our lives through the use of jellybeans representing days and started to help people think about the time they have left and the choices they make with that time. The video starts counting at age 15, what they call the “threshold of adulthood,” saying that we have approximately 23,360 days left. Below is the breakdown of those 23,360 days and what we will, on average, spend them doing:
8,477 days sleeping
1,635 days eating, drinking, or preparing food
3,202 days working
1,099 days commuting
2,676 days watching TV in some form
1,576 days doing household activities
564 days caring for the needs and well being of others
671 days bathing, grooming, or doing bathroom related activities
720 days involved in community activities
This leaves 2,740 days.
2,740 days- that seems like a ton of time! But, then I remembered how last night I spent 3 hours scrolling through Pinterest while a rerun (or two) of “How I Met Your Mother” played in the background. And… let’s just say that’s not the first night that has happened. I thought about how many of those 2,740 days I am not fully present in the moment. Or about how many of those 2,740 days I have spent holding grudges or worrying.
And then I think about how many of those 2,740 days I have spent doing things that authentically make me happy. I think of the days I live aligned with my purpose (to be the change I wish to see in the world) and my core values (self respect, love, leadership, optimism, and health). I think about the times, in those 2,740 days I have made someone smile and those 2,740 of my smiles. I think about the days I have done something creative and something challenging. And those times during those 2,740 days I needed to rest, sleep, watch a movie, or just sit at the pool.
When you look back at all of your jellybeans, what do you see? When you think about the remaining ones, what do you want them to look like?
What are you going to do today?
