Have You Lost Your Marbles?

Yes, But I Know How Many I Have Left, Do You?

This article is part of my Blog of the Week series - for more inspirational business content, visit www.BrandonSteiner.com and my What Else? blog

The problem with adages such as "Two Wrongs Don’t Make a Right" and "The Pen Is Mightier Than The Sword" is they can often be overplayed and quite frankly, flat out WRONG.

Take for instance the classic - "Time Is Money."

The problem with this saying is the equation it presents.

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In reality, time does not equal money, time = EVERYTHING!

For younger people, the concept of time can often be lost in the pursuit of adventure, love, and money, but for an individual of my age, time is my most valued resource. At 60, every year, every month, every week, every weekend, every hour, and every second is valuable as statistically I have a finite amount of time left on this planet and there is certainly no life rewind button.

This idea of time being our most valuable resource was brought to light by an old client of mine who I met with after not doing business with for over a decade. Ultra-successful with a vibrant business, a great lifestyle, and a beautiful family; the first thing my client mentioned to me when I saw him was not his latest deal or top client, but the bowl of marbles sitting on his desk.

When I sat down with my old acquaintance, we reminisced about the past for a little bit, but after a few minutes of conversation he pointed to the glass bowl on his desk filled about halfway with marbles. Pointing to the bowl, my old client asked, “Brandon, do you know how many marbles are in there?” Before I could blurt out an educated guess or say something witty, he cut me off and uttered, “Nine Hundred and Forty Two”.

As my old client explained, based on his age and the current life expectancy of a male living in the United States, he has 942 weekends left with his family. Every Friday, he takes ones of the marbles out of the bowl and throws it in the trash. At the end of the week, he will do the same practice and be down to 941 marbles.

For some, 942 may seem like a large number, but the reality is if you count the number of times you would like kiss your wife, tuck you kids into bed, go fishing with buddies, volunteer at a soup kitchen, or travel to a new country – 942 weekend is just not enough!

As mentioned before, time is finite and there is no rewind button in life. For my old client, his biggest regret was not making more money or having a bigger house, it was the days, weeks, and months he was away from his family in search of what he thought would make everyone happier. A good dad provides for his family, but moreover, he is there for them.

I can say that my old client is a GOOD GUY, but like him (myself included), there are so many people in their 50s, 60s, and 70s who would do anything to go back in time and be available for the family dinners and the little league games. In general, kids are resilient and will overcome adversity as long as they are loved, but kids notice your absence and they see how it effects their other parent.

So here’s two old adages for you that are 100% correct – "Live Today Like There Is No Tomorrow" & "Savor Each Moment." Whether you are at 607, 942, or 2,000 marbles; it is so important to understand that time is greater money, its EVERYTHING.