8th August 2020

We all know that precious time is slipping away. The trouble is, because we’re ‘busy, busy, busy’, we tend to forget. We end up paying lip service to the fact that life is not a rehearsal. We fall into the trap of going through life acting as if we have forever. But we don’t.

So let’s up the ante.

I’m quietly confident that what follows will sound familiar to you…

Have you ever been on holiday for a fortnight? Of course you have!

Let’s say you are going on holiday for two weeks, Saturday to Saturday. You know what it’s like. You leave your house early in the morning and the whole of your first Saturday is spent travelling. You eventually arrive at your hotel. It’s late, you’re tired – you can’t wait to hit the sack.

You know the feeling?

Next morning you wake up… in a strange place.

Firstly you think: “Where am I?

Then you realise!

Hey, hey! I’m on holiday! I’ve got TWO WHOLE WEEKS to enjoy myself! I’m going to have so much fun. I’m going to do ‘this’, I’m going to do ‘that’! Fantastic!” And off you go to start enjoying yourself. You’ve earned it!

Then after a few days, it’s Wednesday of the first week. By now you are well and truly settled in. You know your way around your hotel. You’re in the groove!

You think to yourself: “This is brilliant! It feels like I’ve been here for ages… but it’s only Wednesday! I’ve still got another week and a half left of this! Fantastic!” and off you go to have even more fun.

Then, after a few more days that seem to go on forever, it’s Saturday – the start of your second week. And then you think “Hey! That first week was great! And I’ve still got another week of this! Fantastic!”

But then, suddenly, in what seems like a blink of an eye… you’re checking in at the airport… and you’re on your way home!

Have you ever felt like this?

What happens to that second week!!!?

Has this ever happened to you? It’s certainly happened to me! And it’s happened to hundreds of people I’ve shared this story with.

Here’s my point…

Are you over the age of 40 or 45?

Guess what?

You’re already into your second week!

It’s speeding up fast isn’t it?

Your life is speeding up!

It’s a fact. The older we get, the faster time seems to slip by.

As I write this, it’s 2016! All the fuss and celebrations surrounding the Millennium seem like only a short time ago. Freddie Mercury died, when? Princess Diana? When? 9/11, was when? All seem like ‘not long ago’.

My kids? It only seems like five minutes ago that they were toddlers. Now look at them!

I’m now in my late fifties! (Gulp! Typing that just doesn’t feel right!)

Yet, it feels like only yesterday when I was sat on a bench at the park with my best pal, I was in my Wolves strip and Pete was in his Aston Villa kit. We were just kids.

For some reason we were trying to work out what year it would be when we would hit 50! It would be 2009! How we laughed! It seemed so far off! We just couldn’t believe it! 2009!

And then… ‘BOOM’!

Fifty? That’s now several years ago!!

Now, I’m a lot closer to 60 than I am 50! Yet 50 seems like 5 minutes ago!

Precious time IS slipping away. You know it. I know it. Before long, you and me, we might be in a wheelchair or in a Nursing Home. It will be too late – and then we’ll be dead.

Sorry to put the screws on you – but someone has to!

Therefore, what is it that YOU want to do BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE?

What do you want to do before you’re dead in a box?

What needs to happen for you to have had a life well lived?

We all know this to be true. But we get caught in the ‘if, when, then’ trap. “When I have more money…”, “When the kids grow up…”, “When I have more time…” “When I’ve retired…” – then it’s too late, and we’re dead in a box with our name on it!

Life is for living! Yet both you and I have seen way too many people die, or succumb to illness, without having experienced life to the full.

This is about waking up to the inevitable fact we are here for the blink of an eye. It’s not about being the wealthiest man or woman in the graveyard. It IS about lying on your deathbed with a mischievous grin on your face, while you giggle to yourself: “That was so much fun!”

Above extract taken from Paul Armson’s book titled: “Enough? How much money do you need for the rest of your life?”

If you’d like to know more, give us a call or send us an email and we’ll schedule some time to chat with you.