This is a nearly perfect post. I excerpt only to provide a teaser…you should really read the whole thing.
Imagine there is a bank that credits your account each morning with $86,400. It carries over no balance from day to day. Every evening the bank deletes whatever part of the balance you failed to use during the day. What would you do? Draw out every cent? Of course!
Each of us has such a bank. Its name is TIME. Every morning, it credits you with 86,400 seconds. Every night it writes off, as lost, whatever of this you have failed to invest to good purpose. It carries over no balance. It allows no overdraft. Each day it opens a new account for you. Each night it burns the remains of the day. If you fail to use the day’s deposits, the loss is yours. There is no going back. There is no drawing against tomorrow. You must live in the present on today’s deposits.
An interesting analogy, yet I would say that if one takes it through to its logical conclusion, we arrive with the thought:
It does not suffice to live entirely in the present. While we may withdraw and enjoy all the contents of our bank accounts, spending freely on the spur of the moment; such endevours do not lead to any long lasting benefits.
What would you do if you had such a bank account? Eventually would you not tire of spending money with such capricious ease?
Personally I would grow weary and inevitable, I would spend one day planning exactly how to use the money from the next day (i.e tomorrow).
Hence “living in the present” does not suffice, one must engage in planning and “living for tomorrow” to a certain degree to ensure long lasting greatness and happiness.
Although I’m about to retire, I really liked your words on the importance of time. I’m been blogging about women and retirement, and there are so many issues around the value of time that isn’t “paid for”. Glad to see something that says that we all have this time bank; somehow gives more credibility to what I do with my time when it isn’t about a job. Thanks.