Time is a resource we cannot get back. We have this time and place only once. And once it passes, it is gone. To be sure, lost time is frustrating and we do well to grieve. But like spilled milk, we must not let it stop us from moving forward.
Whether it’s choices we’ve made or circumstances outside of our control, we all feel the sting of lost time.
Regret is often the feeling when we look back and realized we’ve wasted the time given to us.
For example, all too often we take our time with loved ones for granted until it’s too late. This might also be the case with certain job and educational opportunities.
At other times, we experience lost time for no fault of our own.
Perhaps technical difficulties cause us to loose hours of work. Or maybe someone else’s poor planning takes several hours of our day.
But regardless of how angry we might get or how justified we might be in our blame, the time we had is still lost.
Whatever the case, our first step forward is at least acknowledging this reality. Reality doesn’t change just because we wish things were different.
And acknowledging our loss allows us to grieve the time we no longer have.
But acknowledging is not to stay stuck at the point of our loss. Grieving and accepting loss frees us to make the most of the time we now have in this next moment.
Spilled milk matters and we don’t have to pretend it doesn’t. But perpetually crying over it robs us of the fullness of life still available.
Accept and grieve lost time in its many forms. But as you grieve, don’t waste the time given to you today. This keeps you from adding regret to the sorrow already present.
Photo by James Coleman on Unsplash
