Time and recognition

Time is a curious thing. You so desperately want it to speed up, to win first place in a NASCAR race, to act as a cheetah sprinting across the savannah. And as soon as it does, you want to take back every wish you ever had to hurry the time along because you need more of it. You no longer see time as something to throw away but as something to cherish and treasure. You don't see the day as relentless hours but as precious seconds that should be appreciated and remembered fully. You don't see your current situation as a burden but as a gift.

Time, as the age-old cliche says, also heals. It lessens the pain of heartaches. It gives you closure. It changes aspects of your life. It provides clarity. It can help you to recognize the poison that has been eating away at your life...at your character...at your dignity, your conscience, your heart. It's hard to recognize that you've formed a bad habit until enough time has passed and you can step back and realize what you've done and what you've been doing for quite some time. It can be something as simple as gossiping behind a friend's back or something as crucial as dropping a friend from your life completely. How can we expect to better ourselves if we do not first recognize our own faults? How can we expect to become the best versions of ourselves if we cannot understand our wrongdoings and ask for forgiveness?

We are not flawless. We are not perfect. We cannot avoid sin. But we can look our sins square in the face and say "you are evil and wrong." We can go to those who we have wronged and ask them to give us another chance. We can admit to our wrongdoings and ask for forgiveness. In fact, that is about all we can do.

We are who we choose to be. We are who we decide to become. If at the end of the day, we are not proud of who we are then how can we expect others to look upon us with favor? If we are ashamed of things we have done, how can we expect to live a blissful life without first facing our sins?

We must use time to our advantage. We must not waste it being ashamed or embarrassed or afraid. If we feel a certain way, we must take the necessary action to supply that feeling with its antidote and provide the word describing that feeling with its antonym. Feel ashamed? Admit to your shame and regain your confidence. Feel embarrassed? Take a few breaths, close your eyes, and find your composure. Feel afraid? Dig deep and discover your innermost courage. Because in the grand scheme of things, all we really are guaranteed is the body, the soul, and the time we are given. And if we cannot look in the mirror and feel at peace with the person we are, then we must change. And if we cannot look back upon our lives and feel absolutely sure that we utilized every second, every day, and each moment to the best of our ability, then we have failed.