Have you got six minutes to spare? I'd like for you to spend those few minutes to think about the direction you are moving. Hopefully, you are moving forward, but so many are spending their time as if they had all the time in the world. Which, of course, is not true.

We each have the same 24 hours in a day - 1,440 minutes - no more, no less. It is how we use that time that is important. Are you using your time wisely? Are you really using every one of those minutes that you were given to move forward in a responsible manner?

What if you had gone to your doctor for your regular checkup yesterday and this morning he called with some bad news - the results of your testing came back and you only have 1 month to live. Would you begin living your life any differently?

If this happened to you, you would have a choice of thinking about this in a logical or emotional manner. Humans are, by nature, emotional animals - not logical - for the most part. Sure, we use logic to solve math problems, but the great majority of problems are solved using emotions.

Your first response to that phone call would probably be one of disbelief. You will think, "There must be a mistake!" You may have arisen this morning feeling great to be alive. You may have literally danced out of bed, ready to greet the day. How could you possibly have reached the end of your life so quickly? And, you will think, "But, I am not ready!" But disbelief changes nothing. It is only your subconscious not wanting to face the truth.

Next, you may have thoughts of grief. You think, "Wait, I like my life!" Grief is a natural reaction to a loss, particularly when you are faced with your own death or that of another who you have a close bond with. Grief can be overwhelming with behavioral, cognitive, cultural, philosophical, physical, social, and spiritual dimensions. Now, you are really feeling overwhelmed. But, grief and bereavement change nothing. The reality is that you are going to die.

Next, you will experience sorrow. You think, "I can't die because I have not accomplished all of my goals in life." You will consider how you will explain your impending absence to your friends and family. You become tearful with empathy for how others will be affected. But, the tears will change nothing.

And, finally, the emotion of anger begins to set into your thoughts. You think, "This is not right. I don't deserve to die now." But, no matter how angry you become in your actions, it changes nothing.

Are you beginning to get the point that emotions have no action on changing the reality of the situation? You are still going to die in one month. You may think that emotions create change. That worrying about a situation forces you to consider the consequences, that grief will somehow make a difference, that being sorry will improve the condition, or that anger will make you feel better as a physical relief function.

Exhausted, from having moved through all of those emotions, you are forced to accept the reality of the situation. You will die in one month. As you run out of emotions, logic takes over. You finally realize that your time is limited. A bit late perhaps, now that you only have 30 days of your life left. Logically, you begin to think differently. Much differently with the new deadline that has been imposed on your time. And, just as with any deadline, you begin to prioritize your time.

There are so many things that you would like to do on your list, but unfortunately, you have to narrow the list to only those things that matter most and can be accomplished in the short time you have left before you run out of time. As you go over your list, you begin to realize just how many meaningless items are on the list. Logically, you are faced with the reality that you have no other choice than to remove the items that are now irrelevant and you focus only on what matters most in what is left of your life.

The lesson here is that while emotions are a huge and necessary part of our life, it is the logical thoughts that are most important. Logic will help us face the reality of the fact that time is not endless and it is limited. You do not have to wait until you receive that phone call from your doctor to start using logic in your life.

Why not start today - setting your goals for what remains of your life so that you can reach your true potential. Consider what values are most important to you as an individual to fulfill your life now. Continually monitor your time so that you are progressing, rather than sitting idly and doing nothing other than waiting for that phone call.

Most importantly, be responsible for your time and that of others. Don't waste a moment. Take responsibility for everything you think, say, or do. Accept responsibility for using your time wisely. Never abuse the time of others, which is also just as limited as yours.

Because you never know when you will get that phone call.