The years are short ...

... but the days are long

My birthday always makes me think about what I've achieved, where I am, and what I still wish to achieve.

When St Patrick’s Day rolls around every year I am always surprised it’s here so quickly, it feels like just yesterday we were celebrating the New Year.

I've come to realize that, although time seems to pass so quickly when you’re in the moment, there is so much that you can pack in, it’s really astounding when you reflect.

It always surprises me to think we are already in mid-March, and for a brief moment I worry that time is passing too quickly for me and I wish that I had set out on my dreams and goals earlier. But then I think about what I've done in the past twelve months; the classes I've taught, people I've met, places I've traveled, skills I've learned from scratch and those I've honed in and it makes me realize how much I can and will still achieve.

If you can learn to walk, talk, eat, do your sums, read and write before you’re 5, imagine what you could learn to do now you have all of those skills if you just dedicated yourself to it. The natural aptitude of the child is joyous attention. Before we learn the fear of failure and disappointment, we inherently know the magic and excitement of trying and growing through every success AND every failure.

Instead of slowing down and feeling like you've already peaked, find a new goal, a new horizon, a new challenge and work for it. However it turns out, if you work hard, you'll grow from the experience, you'll learn a lot and you might just find a new dream in the process.

Time does pass quickly: instead of lamenting it choose to keep up. Stay childlike, keep learning, keep growing.