Our pastor recently gave a set of sermons that contained such memorable visuals that I want to share them with all my family, friends and clients. According to current research, the average person in America today lives to age 78, resulting in approximately 28,470 days of life.
Here are some of the ways we spend those precious days:
- 26 years sleeping
- 13- 14 years working
- 8 years watching TV
- 4 ½ years eating
- 6 years on social media
- 2 years shopping (my favorite! 😉
- 4 years in our car
- 1 year looking for lost items (this one made me smile….)
On the table he placed a huge bowl of colored marbles. On each side of this bowl there were two clear glass containers, one labeled “INVESTED” and one labeled “WASTED.” He asked, “Are you INVESTING your moments each day (helping others, bringing joy to someone, making a difference of some kind) or are you WASTING those moments (focus only on yourself, your needs and pleasures)?”
For me, this was a visual “wake up” call to think more concretely about the awesome daily GIFT of life and how I am using that gift. How many “marble moments” have I created today?
He challenged each of us to evaluate at the end of each day whether we could put a marble in the “Invested” jar or in the “Wasted” jar. The bottom line: How much time am I spending each day on myself as opposed to doing things that make this world a better place? WOW! Powerful food for thought…….
The next week he had four very tall clear glass containers on the table, each filled with blue sparkly marbles.
- The first one was nearly full – the number of days we have at age 20.
- The second one was half of the first one – the days we have left at 40.
- The third one was half of that one – how many days we have left at age 60.
- And the final one had very few marbles in it – days left at age 70.
Again, what a POWERFUL visual! It gave me a whole new visual reality of the importance of each precious day I have left and a reminder challenge for how I am using it. Is it WASTED or is it INVESTED? At the end of my life, I hope I can be proud of how I have made a difference with my blessed gift of life. How about you?
May all the days we have left be filled with “Marble Moments.”
To learn more about Barbara’s work, go to http://www.barbaraglanz.com.
