Many people might read the idea in a social post that “we always know how much money we have, but never know how much time we have” and respond by thinking, Well, if my time is limited, I should make the most of it!
This often leads to a frantic approach to life: packing schedules, chasing experiences, ticking off items from a bucket list, trying to do it all before time runs out. Similarly, with money, we tend to focus on accumulation—earning more, saving more, and often spending it in ways that make us feel temporarily fulfilled.
But let’s step back for a moment and ask: Do we really control either of these things—money or time?
Yes, you may know how much money is in your bank account today, but financial security is never guaranteed. Money can be gained or lost in an instant, and the certainty it appears to provide is often fleeting. Similarly, while we like to believe we can plan our time—days, months, years ahead—time is the ultimate unknown. We don’t know how much of it we truly have, and no amount of planning can change that.
Both money and time carry the illusion of permanence, but in reality, both are impermanent and beyond our full control.
So, how do we respond to this? Many of us fall into the trap of maximizing. We try to earn as much money as possible or pack our days with activities to feel like we’re making the most of what we have. But does this truly bring peace or fulfillment?
What if, instead of focusing on how much we have—whether it’s time or money—we focused on how we live?
Money, like time, is a tool. Are we using it to create meaningful moments, or are we hoarding and chasing it for its own sake?
Time isn’t something to conquer or fill; it’s something to experience fully, in its fleeting and precious nature.
The wisdom lies in recognizing that neither money nor time defines us. They are resources, not measures of our worth or happiness. Instead of being consumed by the idea of having or maximizing, we can pause to live with greater awareness: to appreciate the small, fleeting moments and to use what we have—whether money or time—with intention and care.
The deeper question isn’t how much time or money you have. The question is: How are you living, right now?