Sailing Your Path From Wasted Time

Ever looked back and wondered if you should have taken a different direction? Looked back wished that you hadn’t wasted time on a particular period of your life?

I have been wanting to write this piece for quite a while now but it wasn’t until I truly explored and accepted something within myself that I was able to. And that is this…

Wasted time is only a concept in the present moment.

It’s not wasted time looking back on your life because it’s contributed to your way of thinking and how you got where you are. You can only choose to waste time in the present moment and ironically enough, spending time looking back on life and feeling as if you’ve wasted it, to me is wasting time. You with me?

Disneysea, Tokyo

See, I studied Japanese language throughout my entire schooling career and straight from high school completed a Japanese and English degree to become a teacher. Now I’ve finished and I’m currently working in superannuation and accountancy. I started University with a plan, with my life all figured out and I graduated completely lost with a hefty enough HECS debt. Turns out life doesn’t go to plan. All those reading who have been/are in the exact same boat please say Aye Aye.

You’ve ridden the waves of uncertainty throughout your education, course, trade, relationships, life…whatever it may be. You proudly surfed the high tide of graduation and now your ship’s left sinking with each “What are you doing now?”, or my personal favourite, “well that was a waste then wasn’t it.” Just like that I felt the past 3 years, 2 Japan trips and 1 degree was a complete waste of resources.

Same goes for relationships. It’s easy to look back and wish all the time, money and emotion was spent on the ‘right one’ rather than your ex.

What I couldn’t see that I see now is that I couldn’t have paved my way more perfectly.

See if I hadn’t ‘wasted’ those 3 incredible years with my previous partner I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to travel to Europe for the first time, meeting some pretty incredible people and more importantly my family/heritage in Holland. I also wouldn’t have been introduced to some of the most exceptional people that I have in my life today. Ones that have supported me and guided me to be the person I am.

Boracay Island, Philippines

If I hadn’t have ‘wasted’ those thousands of dollars on subjects in my degree, then I never would have had the awakening to the world I so desperately needed. Ironically enough it was the subjects that didn’t contribute to my major that most significantly contributed to the value of my life. Subjects that taught me one of the greatest lessons to learn in life, which is why we live the way we do and inadvertently how to live and communicate in the world that we do. University was my awakening to social injustices; to the opportunity and beauty in diversity of culture; to the necessity to question and challenge societal norms.

And don’t even get me started on the time and money I ‘wasted’ studying Japanese abroad.

There is a reason you are drawn to everything in your life. A part of your personality was lacking that information despite your obvious ‘use’ of it. You needed them to get you where you are, which is exactly where you’re supposed to be.

So I now encourage you to pause and reflect on all those times you wonder if you should have chosen a different path. Now why are you grateful for the course that you sailed? Who wouldn’t you have met had your endeavours been different? Most importantly, what lesson wouldn’t you have learnt and how would your perspective be different?

Educating yourself and chasing your curiosity on something further is exceptionally valuable and never a waste of time and money. See now that my eyes are open and my heart and life are full, I could never put a price on that.