You, Me & Jeff Bezos

Junior Moaku
Save Me Save We
2/16/2020

So often we fail to fully immerse ourselves in the present moment, causing us to waste our one and only non-renewable resource, which is time. It has become a damaging standard of ours to be omnipresent, letting our worries and obligations transport our conscious mind to a time and place that has gone by or has yet existed.

About a month ago, what I thought would be a routine morning jog became a pivotal moment in my life.

Motivated to recuperate from the holiday feasts, I was determined to run in the chilly and muggy weather. The route was four kilometers round trip, it seemed like everyone was recovering from the New Year celebrations as the sidewalks were empty, and the city felt lifeless. On my way back I decided to take a trip down memory lane and cut through a park I used to play at when I was younger. To my surprise, two little girls were playing and frolicking around the playground despite the unpleasant weather. Cold and out of breath I tried to keep a stoic look on my face, but as I ran closer to them their laugh eclipsed the booming sound of my music and their smile and joy filled me with vitality.

Confused, overwhelmed, and dumbfounded, I stopped running. I took my headphones out as the music and reality of the moment became too loud. A wave of emotion overcame me, as I remembered the point in my childhood when my friends and I were also playing outside together. But eventually, one day, we all went home not knowing it would be the last time we’d play together, and all I could think was: did we cherish our last moment together?

Witnessing these girls savor every second of the imaginary world they have created brought my attention towards two things: the value of time and the elements of happiness.

I realized that too often, we value the wrong things and get wrapped up in nonessential stuff.

I understand, that as we become older, we are faced with responsibilities, and so we trade our time for money to satisfy those needs. But, at some point throughout this process, we begin to value dollars more than we value seconds. And minutes, unlike money, is not renewable.

We can “afford” to take risks financially and splurge on luxurious personal items because we know we can barter our time for money by selling a product or a service. Because doing so replenishes our depleted resource, which is cash. On the other hand, we could never and will never be able to exchange money for time.

This ultimately makes time more valuable than any fortune or material item on earth.

Meaning, you, me and the “wealthiest” man on the planet (Jeff Bezos), all currently own THE most precious and valuable thing on earth, which is this present moment.

We NEED to start appreciating and loving every second and moment of our lives because there is nothing on this earth more valuable than time. Unfortunately, when it’s all said and done, laying on his death bed, the wealthiest man on earth won’t be able to trade all his fortune and fame for even one more second of life.

Similarly, as I walked by these girls, I realized I would trade all my worldly goods for one more day at the park.

The second thing I recognized on this morning jog was that happiness is composed of three key elements: the appreciation of time, our perspective, and our company.

Happiness can be found in how we perceive our life. What I thought was a gloomy day, one where I would never imagine myself playing outside, was actually the opposite for these girls. Unlike many of us, they were in charge of their own forecast. They were the “weatherman” and meteorologist of their environment. They brought the sun to the park and the clouds couldn’t tell them otherwise.

When we shine light on the dark moments, we find something hidden, and that something is gratitude. Gratitude allows us to see life through a positive lens instead of a negative one. Ultimately creating emotions like appreciation, hope and joy, and ultimately attracting more positive outcomes for ourselves.

Lastly, I learned that the people we surround ourselves with play an essential part in our lives. Our friends and family offer us comfort, connection, support, love, loyalty, amongst so much more.. But understanding who to have around us at the right time is crucial to our happiness. The two girls at the park could have been sisters, they could have been friends, but either way, they didn’t bring someone who wouldn’t fully emerge and enjoy themselves in this fictional world they created. That being said, in life, the destination isn’t as beautiful if we don’t enjoy the journey. Therefore, we must constantly ensure we surround ourselves with the right people for the right adventures.

What I thought would be a regular morning workout turned out to be a pivotal moment in my life. Since that morning I have become more attuned to how much pleasure and joy I am receiving or giving, I have become my very own weatherman and shed more light in tough situations and I have been more attentive to who I bring along through the extraordinary ordinary journeys of my life.

Written by: Junior Moaku

Edited by: Carly Hominuk