There’s a question I wish I should have added to my list of priorities before now. Somehow, my coping mechanisms, which consist of staring blankly while having coffee or shopping, push me away long enough to return to why I missed it. It should have been the basis; maybe life will be different from what it is now, or perhaps I was meant to find out recently.

The question is, “Will it be worth it in 5 years?” A bit cliche and quite common, but not nearly enough. I am sure you’re not new to it, so this isn’t exactly a discovery, but it’s about to be because you are going to start caring about it.

Reading this will not magically make you realize how important it is on a deeper level. But everything you have ever read or heard about it is coming together; you can finally see that 5 years is a short time. Think about who and where you were 5 years ago. Do you see a link between your actions and choices?

As much as you shape your reality and control your choices, it is not for today only. If truly only the present mattered, why do you have regrets or are so anxious about the future? It’s all inside you at this moment, the past, present and future. Whatever you’re doing now will soon become a memory but also a foundation for your future. So I ask again, will it be worth it in 5 years?

Life is a particular cycle; once you’re born, there are an infinite number of choices you can make, but eventually, there is an end, just like everyone else. Whether you’re a good guy or a bad one, have kids or not, change the world or yourself, the outcome never changes. So, if the way you spend your time can make this inevitable end more tolerable, why do you choose to suffer?

I made a list of things I focus on that will not matter in 5 years and the ones that will. Maybe it’ll give you more clarity;

Won’t matter

1. My eyebrows
2. The sharp contrast between my feet and my skin
3. My favorite truck (Ford Raptor)
4. Social media followers
5. Your opinion of me
6. Belly fat
7. Time spent mindlessly scrolling on social media
8. Comparison
9. Worrying about outcomes in and out of my control
10. Fantasizing about an alternate reality

Will matter

1. The books I read
2. What I eat
3. How long do I sleep
4. My family & friends
5. What I think of myself
6. What I spend my free time on
7. Artificial Intelligence
8. Where I live
9. You who’s reading this
10. My mental health

It seems complicated because you have to constantly decide between living in the moment and living for the moment. You’re a trinity of realities, and your choices have a ripple effect on the past, present and future. Are you making choices that will stand the test of time?

Song of the moment – Blessed & Free – Kane Brown & H.E.R.

I hope you have great news this week. Love always❤️