The 3 Ts

In an emerging world of instant gratification, rapid remedies and quick fix prescriptions, one of the basic principles our father taught us about life many years ago is all too often forgotten. His lesson was based on what he coined The 3 Ts, and it’s something we both still remind ourselves of daily. The 3 Ts apply to everything in life, if you slow down long enough to notice, which is exactly the lesson he wanted us to learn — that Things Take Time.

Whether it’s reaching your fitness goals, moving up in your career, improving existing relationships or developing new ones, everything takes time and as such, it’s in your best interest to learn how to manage time wisely. Thanks to the internet, we are in a digital age where a world of information is literally at our fingertips, yet for so many people hours on end are wasted each day checking Facebook, shopping online for useless products or watching less-than-thought-provoking television shows.

Why is this? I gained new insights on this over the weekend when I overheard a conversation about the American concept of “time.” An Eastern European was laughing at the fact that the English language describes “time” as something we Americans possess. He referenced the common English phrase I don’t have time to illustrate his point:

“How ridiculous!” he exclaimed. “You cannot have time, you’ll never have time. You must take time. There is no other way.”

Wow… slow down soldier ’cause you just blew me outta the water! I had one of those smiley self-reflective moments and ran straight to my desk, ready to write about the importance of this vital shift in perspective when it comes to time, self development and life in general. So pay attention, because this is important. I literally ran here to write this, like a carrier pigeon delivering urgent news of a surprise enemy attack, so read closely and then get ready to chart out your defensive strategy.

Every one of us is allotted a brief period of time on this earth. The choice of what you do with that time is yours, but time itself is not. You cannot go out to the grocery store and pick up more time when you need it. When you run out, you run out (in other words, you die). This is extremely important to recognize because once you understand that there is no promise of tomorrow for you or anyone, then you will fully comprehend that this is it. This is your life. You’re living it, right now. This isn’t the practice round, this is show time. What are you doing with the time you’ve been given? Are you happy? Are you truly living the life you want to live? Have you ever really asked yourself these questions?

If you have even an inkling that you’re unhappy with your present life, it’s time to change. Now that you know about The 3 Ts, you’re gonna need three more things: patience, persistence and a plan. You’ve heard it before, that “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

In the words of Walt Whitman, “That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse.”