Writing is not a luxury for me. I do not find time for it. I do not make time for it. It is part of how I do things.

I write because I cannot waste time.

I cannot waste the time that I spend learning something. If I do not write, if I do not share, it stops with me. If I share what I’m learning, other people can build on it. I learn from what they can do. We all grow.

If I do not share, it stops with me. Six months later, I’ll need to relearn. Two years later, I’ll spend time explaining the same things to different people, things I’ve long forgotten. I’ll wonder where the days went, where the weeks went, where the years went.

I cannot waste time, so I must write.

If I take a few minutes to write a note, if I explain it to myself or to others, it becomes a seed that can grow into something bigger. As I revisit it, as I understand it better, I help it grow. And someday, someone might come across it and find it useful.

But if I do not share, it stops with me.

My frustration then, is not about finding the time to write. My frustration is that there are so many stories and so many thoughts that I am too slow and unskilled to capture.

But even so, I can share something that sparks people’s imagination and inspires people to learn. Imagine what could happen if you started earlier, knew more, learned more. What I share becomes the launchpad that others can use to take flight.

On one hand, the scarcity of time drives me to share. On the other—far-reaching possibilities! Even now, I learn more from the unexpected ripples of my life than I have ever shared.

I stand on the shoulders of giants. I write so that others can stand on mine, and so that I can learn from the heights we lift ourselves to.

(Thanks to Dror Engel for the nudge to write about finding the time to write)