I’ve just calculated that today is my 12426th day on this planet. Take your years and multiply them by 365, add the number of leap days you’ve seen and then break down the days since your last birthday. Since mine was only eight days ago, it was easy enough for me.
If you look at the number of Jelly Beans that you’ll have left on average, things start to look just slightly scary, if not unbalanced.
There’s little enough we can do about the time we spend sleeping (not unless you care about your health), eating and using the bathroom. Those are pretty essential. Everything else depends on the individual habits of each of us.
I’m sure I’ve accrued quite a number of days reading and writing, but those Jelly Beans count for so much more than the ones I’ve spent commuting.
Every Jelly Bean spent travelling, learning or visiting a museum, hanging out with family and friends, was gladly given and I will continue to throw those around as if my supply were limitless.
But if you consider the Jelly Beans you put into your work, you really want to make sure they’re spent well.
And this is why I keep reiterating: make it count.
Make every single one count, because you’re never going to get it back.
It’s nearly impossible to live every day as if it were your last and that isn’t the point here. The point is to do something every day that matters, something that will mean that the day counted for something.
Not every hour of every day, but more than one hour each day. Do something you love. Do something well. Do something for someone else. Smile. Say thank you and apologize when necessary. Make someone else smile. Breathe. Love. Yield. Dream a little with your eyes wide open. Learn something new. Write an email to an old friend. Give your dog a treat and a cuddle. Hug someone you hold dear. Listen.
Any of those, all of those and million other things. Just make it count. Mean it.
Because there are only so many JellyBeans left.
2clouds 