Time's A Wasting!

Hello and welcome to another advice edition of my Ask Hue Mann. Before we begin, I'd like to apologize for not being able to write any short stories or more chapters of the fanfiction. Unfortunately, I'm a very busy 19-year-old and thinking about stories to tell and to create has been strenuous for my brain lately. Also, apologies for the delay on this blog post. Its Ramadan, I've started in an internship, I'm fasting, friends and family, etc. Need I go on? Basically sleep and I have not had the best relationship these past couple days.

So with that out of the way, shall we begin? Today's topic is time. As I was in the taxi on my way to my grandma's house for iftar with her and my mom, I saw a man crossing the street very hastily. In his hands he had a huge rectangular block of ice that was melting pretty quickly. Now for what reason he was doing so, I have no clue, but it got me thinking about how we spend our time and how quickly it runs out these days. I mean around 3 years ago I started this blog and it only seems like it was just last summer. That's crazy if you ask me.

There are two things and only two things that you can do with time. You can spend it properly, or you can waste it. No reversing, no stopping, no increasing, no decreasing. So because of that, I'm here to tell you ways that you can properly spend time, and to tell you the things that waste time.

Spending time like its currency, because of that quote we all know "Time is money", is wrong in my opinion. Time cannot be measured to the same weight of money. You can alter how much money you have whether by decreasing it or increasing it, you can stop spending money all at once, and you can reverse the effects of money spent. But you cannot do all that with time. There's only using it. Now to use it to the best of your ability, here are some tips of mine.

First off, time spent on learning is never wasted. The more you learn, the broader your perspective of things is. Whether that is reading books, taking classes, or exploring what's around you, it is always necessary to keep learning. The amount of information to learn, though, is limited to how long the human race will survive. You as a human being have absolutely no guarantee that you will live to see the end of learning. So make the most of spare time and try and learn something new. What you can do is write down every question you have every thought of that really made you curious over the week and take an hour or two to try and find the answers. You can also seek out some of the elderly folk and learn something from them. You may not believe this, but those elders can teach you a lot about the world, even if it was all in the past. Even more so, the past is meant for learning. You use past experiences to understand and handle present ones. So go have a chat with your grandparents. Visit your 80-year-old neighbor and have a good conversation. Volunteer at a senior citizen home and have a talk with them. You'd be doing them a favor too, they like talking about when they were young.

Next, there is spending time on you. Now I believe very much that every person is entitled some time to their selves. You need time to reflect on how you've been feeling recently and have a little conversation with yourself. Ask yourself if you're happy, if not then why, what you can do to change that, all the little questions that we answer too lazily. Spending time on yourself can also be in the form of making yourself the best version of you. That way you can leave a legacy that is timeless and you will be remembered for how much good you've projected into the universe. And then there are also the little things. You can spend some time pampering yourself. Treat yourself to a nice spa day, a lovely meal; buy some new clothes, all those little things that just make you feel better inside. Nothing wrong with treating yourself to something every now and then.

There is also this important way of spending time. It is to spend it with those you love. Your closest friends, your family, your significant other, or even your beloved pet, are all important factors of your life. So take some time to show them how much you really love them. Go see your grandparents, visit your parents, treat your best friend to something you know they love, go on a date with your other half, play some fetch with your dog or play with a laser pointer with your cat, but the most important part is to remember to tell them how much you love them. Do all this so you can look back and reflect and say to yourself that you know they love you because you loved them and proved it.

Finally, the most important way of spending time properly is to spend it on doing something that makes you happy. Literally do whatever makes you happy at least once a month. Whether it's hiking, or biking, or traveling. Whether it's taking a lazy day and watching all of your favorite movies, or staying in bed all day with a cup of coffee or tea and reading a couple of books. Whatever makes you happy and puts a smile on your face, or gets a laugh out of you, always remember to do it regularly. There is no regretting doing what makes you happy.

On to how to not waste time. One of the biggest wastes of time is worrying about the future. Whether its 1 minute away, or 1 day away, or a week, month, or year, even years ahead, it's really pointless. Because as I said before we have no control over time or what it brings in the future. I'm not saying that one shouldn't be prepared. Being prepared is a very important aspect of living. But what is life without taking a risk or two? If you're worried about the coming exams or the results of those exams, just stop. You can't control how the test is going to look like, and there is certainly no point in worrying about a result that is bound to come whether you're worried or couldn't care less. So the future is nothing to worry about. If you want to be confident of a good future, come as it may, then do your best in the present time and you will most definitely become so.

Another waste of time is arguing or fighting over trivial things. Many of the things that make us butt heads with each other are just plain ridiculous. Most of them you won't even remember. And those you do remember will make you regret that you wasted precious time on such an insignificant matter. I have a solution to clear your brain of this programming to argue about silly things. If you take the time to go somewhere that is clear of any pollution and look up at the night sky, you'll realize just how vast the universe is and how miniscule that makes your problems look. Or you can climb something very high like a mountain or go on the roof of a building and see how wide the environment around you is. You'll know that there are real issues out there that are much bigger than your petty fights. The best way to know just how big of a world you live in is to travel. Your perspective widens, your eyes are opened, and you gain a whole new look on the world and your problems.

Finally, please don't waste time trying to please everyone, because it is simply never going to happen. The only things you get out of trying to please everyone are frustration and exhaustion. You matter more than you think, so don't do that to yourself. We as human beings are very hard creatures to satisfy. I don't think it is possible for us to be satisfied all the time let alone be happy about it. So if someone isn't happy about something you did or didn't do, you are in no way forced to make them happy. You may think this sounds selfish, but in actuality it is the complete opposite. When you take care of your physical, emotional, and mental health, you are all the more capable of helping others and doing what you're supposed to do or what needs to be done. So bottom line, making everyone happy is impossible, so start with you first.

Well I hope you guys have benefited from this blog post. I will try to work on chapter 2 of the fanfiction next weekend since I'm still adjusting to the whole work life. Also don't forget to subscribe to my site to be told when I post a new piece. If you like it, please feel free to share it with those you think should read it. Also, leave me some comments on what you want to see next week, or ask me some questions and you could also just leave me some critiques. I'll see you guys next Thursday, and don't forget to spend your time well. Hue Mann, over and out!! ;)

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