What have you done with yours lately, and what will you do with the ones you have left?
—–
I was watching a talk by Kevin Kelly on TED titled, The Next 5,000 Days of the Web, when it occurred to me that time, when defined by days instead of months or years, paints a different picture and affords a new perspective. The thought started when I asked myself how long is 5,000 days, exactly. It doesn’t sound like a long time, yet 5,000 days is the equivalent of 13.7 years! Somehow, there’s a disconnect in my brain between 5,000 days and 13.7 years. Did you do a double take too?
My next thought that follows was, “how long is an average human life as defined in days?” If you assume the average human life span is 75 years, then it translates to be approximately 28,000 days long. I don’t know about you, but 28,000 days seem like a very short time! It is especially so when you imagine and grasp that EACH passing day is one less from what you have left. I think the thought and act of the daily count down makes me feel very mortal! It also alerted me to the fact that I haven’t done much in making a difference in this world, yet I’ve crossed off more than 10,000 days of my life already! My life is more than 1/3 over, yet I haven’t accomplished much! It’s a very sobering thought. Perhaps this is the first time in my life where I feel completely vulnerable!
As solemn as the thought is, it also serves as a wake-up call for me. From now on, I am going to make sure I accomplish at least one thing everyday that would make me proud to cross that day off my total days left. It need not be huge, but it should definitely be something meaningful to me. I don’t want to spend the next 10,000 days of my life in oblivion.
How about you? How many days have you crossed off, and are you proud of the way you spent your days? How do you intend to spend your remaining days? Make them count — all of them!
19 comments
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August 30, 2008 at 4:00 am
likerain
What a true thing, i’ve read this sentence one week ago in a book and thought of making a blog out of it.
March 24, 2009 at 7:50 am
Patrick Parker
Hi, I just found your blog post here and it interested me, as I had written a couple along the same lines some time back. If you are still interested in this line of thought, you might enjoy reading them…
http://www.mokurendojo.com/2008/12/10000-hours-over-28000-days.html
Thanks,
Pat
April 17, 2009 at 6:01 pm
framerater
After having searched the internet for the same answer to the question ‘how long is an average human life as defined in days?’, your blog showed up.
I have to admit, I think about this kind of thing a lot! I completley understand you when you say you are feeling ‘mortal’ so to speak. Just to make things a little more morbid for you, you also stated that ‘My life is more than 1/3 over’, but when we say this, we speak as if we will be lucky enough to even reach the ‘average’ life span for a human being, thus making your statement one of hope and not fact (your life could already be 3/4 completed etc). Sadly, the ‘average lifespan’ is a marketing oppurtunity these days, with many people believing they will grow old. This is why a whole nation is so shocked at stories such as the late Jade Goody. Anyway, sorry for adding to the gloom, I hope you succeed with your daily task!
October 17, 2009 at 11:07 am
Jose Miguel
THis is a great article which just motivated me to keep a daily diary of each day
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March 31, 2012 at 8:55 am
kathleen
love it ❤
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When our wishes are being fulfilled and till we do not have any trouble and till people do not think that we are a trouble-causing person to them till that we must live and natural death must come to us.
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You have put my whole life in front of me on center stage I say thank you keep blogging
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November 25, 2016 at 2:54 am
Rafael Daber
Thanks for sharing with us!
February 3, 2017 at 7:53 pm
moonshadow
I hope your day’s are blessed and happy, I hope you stay young and cheerful! Let the bee’s live. Say bravo too the blue sky, get off the computer and breathe! Cherish the one’s beside you, travel safe and see the land’s. Make memories, Godspeed!
December 11, 2017 at 4:58 pm
Linda Marie Soistman
WOW ! makes me cry💧
April 27, 2018 at 11:18 pm
james
someone just use 28000 to make a book!