stopwatch

The average  American in 2015 lives
78.9 years
947 months
4,102 weeks
28,811 days
691,462 hours
41,487,725 minutes
2,489,263,488 seconds

This is an improvement from 1985 of
4.3 years
225 weeks
and 1,578 days

There are plenty of hours, minutes, and seconds to spare but life seems to pass too quickly. Is there enough time to accomplish all we want to get done? One could defend either a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer but let me offer some perspective. If a life well lived is based on the impact of contributions made, it is really about the contributions, not the time spent on earth.

Jesus was 32 years old. Many say 32 years is hardly enough time to change the world – He dispels that statement quite well. Other notables include:

Abraham Lincoln 56
Steve Jobs 56
John Kennedy 46
Elvis Presley 42
Pete Maravich 40
John Lennon 40
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 39
Amelia Earhart 39
Lou Gehrig 37
Princess Diana 36
Wolfgang Mozart 35
Meriwether Lewis 35
John Belushi 33
Bruce Lee 33
Vincent Van Gogh 32
Alexander the Great 32
Karen Carpenter 32
Andy Gibb 30
Hank Williams 29
Jimi Hendrix 27
Pat Tillman 27
Nile Kinnick 24
James Dean 24
Ernie Davis 23
Buddy Holly 22
Nathan Hale 21
Pocahontas 21
Joan of Ark 19
Anne Frank 15

At the age of 50 I’ve had more time than everyone on this list with the exception of Abraham Lincoln and Steve Jobs.  I have to admit I’m feeling a little guilty and insignificant at this moment. Reflecting on this list reminds me, however – it isn’t about how much time we have, it is about how we use the time we are given. We do not know the day nor the hour when our time on earth is over and I don’t believe we should spend time worrying about it. We can and should make short term, intermediate, and long term plans because there is a good chance, depending on the age you are in reading this, there are many days, hours, and minutes you have left to accomplish what you wish. We should also live our lives in such a way that if our life falls short of the average life expectancy, our life will be considered a good and full life.

In order to do this, make sure to spend time on the important things in life – valuing relationships, enjoying what life has to offer, and leaving a legacy through the way you positively influence others. All of us strive to live a life where others are sad to see us go rather than feel happy because we are gone. Thank you for giving me 180 – 220 seconds of your life in reading this :o)

Success is living a quality life.

SuccessIsWorking