Some say that life is short.
Others say that life is finite.
In Wicca,
We hold that life never truly ends,
But for purposes of this talk,
I will be referring to life in the context of human existence on earth.
Whether you view life as short or finite,
There is a basic understanding that life is a commodity.
As we approach a certain age,
We will one day have the revelation that we have fewer years ahead of us than we do behind us.
The common response to this is to feel lament for the fact that life is not long enough.
Some will even say,
I wish I could add more time to my life.
While that simply cannot be done,
There is something that is within your power and within everyone's,
And that is the ability to add more life to your time.
But still,
What about time?
Some will persist.
There simply isn't enough of it.
I would suggest that those making this argument are doing so because they have,
At least to some extent,
Added a certain amount of life to their time.
Think about it.
How many of us make that same statement at the end of our workday?
Conversely,
The sensation of time running out,
Or there not being enough of it,
Intensifies as a vacation is drawing to a close.
There are certainly periods where we feel as though we are adding very little,
If any,
Life to our time.
It's common to think this way when engaging in activities such as work,
Responsibilities,
And obligations.
Those things cannot be avoided in our existence,
But they can and should be balanced.
Furthermore,
Saying that a particular activity is a waste of our time is issuing a blanket statement that is often inaccurate,
Because while the experience as a whole might seem wasteful to us,
Not every component of it is.
Seldom is there an experience that we view in retrospect as a lost cause in which there was no lesson learned,
Or no valuable information gained.
So the only thing truly fruitless about it would be failing to absorb those things and applying them to whatever we find to be important to us.
To this end,
The only true waste of time might possibly be moments that are unnoticed,
Unappreciated,
Those to which no value is assigned by us.
We mustn't fall into the trap of believing that adding life to our time equates to filling every moment with excitement.
Excitement isn't ours to add,
But rather to recognize.
Every moment has something unique to offer us,
And can potentially shape us.
This is especially meaningful when we realize that we are part of a shared experience among all humans.
So even interactions with others that we might view as tiring or annoying have something to offer us.
Be aware of and value those and all opportunities,
For they are anything but a waste.
Understand that we are also offering something and contributing to others,
Even if we're not fully aware of it at the time.
When we add life to the time of another,
We are adding life to our time as well.
Even those who accept the concept of reincarnation can find value in adding life to this existence.
Just as we are unable to predict what each new day will hold,
So too are we not 100% certain of what will unfold in our next incarnation.
Time spent discovering that we do not like a particular thing or experience can be just as worthy of celebration as actively engaging in something we truly enjoy.
Acknowledgement of there being another lifetime after the present one does not,
And should not,
Negate the value of our current time.
This life is not a staging ground or a dress rehearsal for the next one.
Each iteration is as precious and valuable as each moment spent within them.
There's certainly nothing wrong with looking forward to tomorrow,
But the opportunities to add life to your time exist in the present.
