We all have regrets they’re part of life and no matter what we do there’s always going to be something that we could have done better. That’s why we live and learn. But there is a difference between having regret because you didn’t do things perfectly and having regret because of wasting your most valuable resource, your time.
I see many men bitter, angry, and shells of their old selves who walk around haunted by the ghost of the men that they could have become. As the years go by the regret gets greater and greater. I remember when I was young wondering what could turn someone who was so full at life and happiness at one point into something so bitter and angry. At first I figured they had just been screwed by the world extra hard.
But then I saw others who had overcome much more adversity with a much different and better attitude. I had seen those who had every right to be angry yet still enjoyed their lives and themselves. So I knew that it had to be something else. I’ve come to realize that more often than not what leaves these men husks of what they once were is regret and the haunting of that ghost.
Our Limited Time On Earth
I don’t know if we came from somewhere before or where we are headed to next but I do know that this time we were given on this earth counts and could very well be all we ever have. That’s not my personal belief but I have no way of knowing what comes next for sure, if anything at all. Because of this it’s important to realize as early as possible what a gift every day, every hour, and every second that we’re still breathing is. And to waste it is to spit in the face of whatever gives us life.
Most people do not value their time at all they fritter it away doing mindless work to return to a home to numb themselves with mindless things before having to do it all over again. The average “man” has been reduced to a insect like existence, one that he is not suited for and that goes against his very fiber (if he is in fact a man). Yet it is one that we’ve been trained to do since entering preschool.
But I’m getting off topic here. The numbing that is required to stay sane in such an existence keeps many men from investing in the things that they want and living the lives that they want. And it’s a cycle that just gets worse and worse. As the numbing agents whether Netflix, porn, crappy food, or anything else make him weaker and weaker until there is nothing but a bitter shell of a man left.
Using Your Time Wisely
However this very same man can get out of the cycle but it requires overcoming inertia (something very few will do) and making the best use of his time. But it will save him from a fate that many would say is worse than death. Replacing the Netflix with training of some sort such as weight training or a martial art. Replacing the porn with reading a book. Replacing the crappy food with healthy food. And spending 30 minutes a night working on a passion project that has the potential to earn him some money.
This eventually leads to freedom and freedom is what all men seek and were born for. This is something that women will never understand, not because they are inferior just because they are different and do not have the spirit of a man. Cultivating your freedom is something that you have to do yourself. Brothers can certainly help you and keep you accountable but ultimately it’s up to you to make the most of what you have been given.
Don’t Be Haunted
It’s by making the best use of your time that you’ll never end up a man haunted by the ghost of what he could have been, haunted by the ghost of his potential that’ll never let him rest. On his death bed he will be as full of regrets as ever because he never truly lived fully and never fully experienced the gift of life that was given to him. It’s my goal that no man live that life again though I know all can never be saved. To make sure you don’t end up like them, make sure to make the most out of every moment that you have.
If you have any questions you would like to see answered in a future post send them to me at charlessledge001 (at) gmail (dot) com. If you found value in this post then I would encourage you to share this site with someone who may need it as well as check out my books here. I appreciate it. You can follow me on Twitter here.
-Charles Sledge
