My First Billion

Sometime in 2022, I spent my billionth second. Even if I live to 90, more than a third of my time is gone. That’s kind of scary. It’s also kind of liberating.

A third of my life is over, but I am still here. Still happy, at least on most days. I have goals to complete, challenges to face, and things to experience. I’m not going to run out of meaning any time soon.

Are you supposed to feel anxious when you realize a large chunk of your life has already passed? Is that what 30th birthdays are meant to do? I definitely feel like I have a lot more accomplish. Some things I worry I might not finish in time. Overall, however, the nagging “do more” feeling is rather small.

In contrast, what I have done feels quite astonishing. Not in a grandiose, “Look at me and my achievements” sense but in a “Wow, so this is how much life you can fit into three decades” sense. Sometimes, I remember a high school field trip, a late night college studying session, or a music album I listened to 17 years ago, and I’m surprised that a.) I’ve held so many identities and b.) my brain still retains all of them. Nothing is ever lost.

Are you still a time billionaire? How do you feel about the seconds you’ve spent? Do they feel like a loss? Or does everything seem to be in its place? Regardless of how you feel about your past today, fretting away tomorrow’s seconds is not the answer.

The most important billion is not the one you fail to make but the one you fail to spend — with a purpose, that is. Seconds are worth more than dollars. Here’s to your next billion!