What is time? At its most simplistic definition, time gives structure to our lives, a mechanism we humans have created to help us understand our universe.

However, it serves a far greater purpose; we ride along its passage unknowingly yet consciously so, but we only serve to recognize its existence whenever we realize the relevancy.

That same notion applies to the common cliché, as to why older generations tell younger people to enjoy their lives as much as they can.

Time cannot be bought, it doesn't bind to the rules of humanity–it is just there.

"All things fall under the passage of time", is a quote that speaks for itself, because when people adopt the perspective that the things that they do today could become meaningless in the next ten years, they become pessimistic.

A negative outlook on time could plague a person's perspective in every aspect of life, eventually converting them to thinking that nothing would matter anymore.

But, it is true to some extent, isn’t it?

You can wake up at 6 AM or 12 PM the next day, but will it truly change anything?

Parallel universes exist, a theoretical perspective that a different self is created whenever we are placed in the crossroads of a decision.

We find ourselves wondering, “What would happen if I chose differently?”.

This is a situation that often encourages wishful thinking and prediction.

It produces thoughts of possibilities that we might have never thought of before, yet we also realize that there are an infinite number of possibilities within an infinite number of parallel universes.

Ultimately, there is no point in dwelling on that–the past is a shackle that binds us from focusing on the more important aspect of time: The Future.

How do we reflect on the time that was experienced in the past and learn from it?

When we are young, we often live our lives vicariously without consideration for time.

But as the clock begins to tick faster, we begin to value it more as we realize that our life is finite.

Each of us has a ticking clock inside of us, we just don’t know when it will end.

Rarely do we realize how much of our life we have spent on one thing we most likely don't even care too much about.

Nothing we can create seems to outlive the strength of time. Not even the great pyramids.

Anything left on this earth will essentially erode over time.

The ocean, the weather, and the atmosphere erases all history.

So I return to the question: “What truly matters?”

Some would consider life as a movie, where events are experienced in a sensational plot-like manner.

However, all movies must eventually come to an end.

With that being said, how will you craft your storyline? And how will you use the time in your “movie”?

A certain quote from light-novel author Wataru Watari, “The past gives you regret, while the future gives you anxiety. Therefore, by the process of elimination, the present is the best time to live on.”

Wherever you are right now, continue to live in the present, because it is the only time that will give you a genuine sense of freedom.