You can not control time; Time controls you

 "Let us prepare our minds as if we'd come to the very end of life. Let us postpone nothing. Let us balance life's books each day. . . . The one who puts the finishing touches on their life each day is never short of time." – Seneca

I was visiting my mother the other day. She, in her own way, is a philosopher, poet, and artist. We were having one of our deep, philosophical chats (she's 92, so she's got a lot of wisdom packed in there), and I was telling her about my new blog and my journey with philosophy and personal growth.

I was diving into the Stoic concept of "Momento Mori." You know, the idea that we're all born with an expiration date, and we should live each day like it's our best one yet. If we wake up the next day, well, that's a bonus round!

We got into a discussion about time and how we never really know when our number is up. She looked at me with that knowing glint in her eye and said, "You cannot control time – time controls you." Basically, we can plan all we want, but time’s the boss, and we’re just along for the ride.

This reminded me of the age-old saying "Seize the day" or "Momento Mori."

Flashback to when I was seventeen, attending live shows in the local Seattle music scene during the mid-eighties. So much was happening, and everyone was buzzing with dreams of what they were "going to" do. Start a band, go to college, travel the world—you name it.

But as I got older, finished high school, and started university, I noticed a trend. Many of those "going to" folks never actually started what they said they were "going to" do. It hit me then that it’s not about what you plan to do but what you’re doing right now. I vowed to be an "I am" type person rather than a "going to" type person.

So, I set goals and crushed them: graduated from college, started a career, met work goals, bought a house, became a parent, and before I knew it, I was getting older. But then, without realizing it, I fell into a new trap—the "When" person. "When" I'm on vacation I'll... "When" my son starts school I can... "When" I lose 10 pounds I will... The "when" never came, and I found myself stuck on the treadmill of daily life, waiting for the perfect time to start living.

I was in a slumber and needed to wake up. The "when" had to become "now." The first step was to be intentional. I had to stop waiting for the right time because it wasn’t going to magically appear. It was up to me to create it.

One day, while killing time at the airport, I stumbled upon a book that changed my perspective. It was "The Creative Act" by Rick Rubin. The first chapter was like a wake-up call: "You are the creator." Suddenly, I realized that the only person who could make things happen was me.

It was overwhelming at first, but I started with a simple question: What type of person do I want to be? I wanted to be someone who lives in the now, not waiting for the right time and place.

I embraced the 2% rule—start small, make it consistent, and build from there. I stopped worrying about the end goal and focused on the process. Every day, I did 2% work towards my goal. Like money, it compounded over time.

None of us know how much time we have. My mother was right—"We cannot control time; time controls us."

So don't wait. Don't be a "going to do" or a "when" person. Be a "now" person. Take one small step every day, and you'll find that the right time and place is here and now.

"A life well-lived is long enough." – Seneca

"A Life, well lived, is long enough" Seneca