This tree is ~1,000 years old. Seeing that many years condensed puts a lot in perspective about wasting time in life…
[click to enlarge]
You go through life acquiring and acquiring.
20’s you party, and dream for things.
Early 30’s you start to acquire some things.
Late 30’s the tides change, and you start wondering where all this responsibility came from.
Jet skis, cars, houses, whatever on bigger or smaller scales… but we all do it. We all acquire “things.”
40’s you start realizing all those acquisitions are really just burdens and liabilities.
Maintenance this, winterize that.
Then, you start to get rid of some of it, weighing the temporary joys with the perpetual burdens.
As the years continue, you start focusing more on what you knew all along, but now you “see” it better.
Helping others.
Some of my best memories aren’t my first plane ride, but gifting that experience to someone else.
I’ve gifted many first plane rides.
First trips to the beach.
A lot of firsts… for others.
Most things you buy, you’ll get rid of with little to show for the time and effort.
Redirect that into investing in yourself, others, and creating your own butterfly effect.
