Time Stays Long Enough For Anyone Who Will Use It

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“Time stays long enough for anyone who will use it.” -Leonardo Da Vinci

Leonardo Da Vinci (1452 – 1519) is considered as the archetype of Renaissance man for his diverse skills and knowledge. He is one of the greatest painters of all time, influencing Western art for more than a century after his death. He is best known for his “Mona Lisa”, “The Last Supper”, and the “Vitruvian Man” which is regarded as a cultural icon. Technologically, he conceptualized machines and engineering designs that later became useful in the invention of bicycles, parachutes, airplanes, and helicopters. He is best described as an artist-engineer because of his discoveries in anatomy, architecture, and engineering that he applied to his works of art.

A renaissance man signifies “a man that can do all things if he will.” The likes of Da Vinci and Michelangelo have a wide variety of interests and skills that make them well-rounded persons. Unfortunately in the modern era, 47% of 1000 Americans claim of having “time famine.” This perception of not having enough time has been giving people trouble in sleeping and stress. Also, it hinders people from discovering their full potential.

However, a study by Melanie Rudd, Kathleen Vohs, and Jennifer Aaker revealed that the feeling of awe expands the perception of time availability and lessened impatience. Their subjects also experienced an increase in willingness to volunteer and a decrease in materialism. Because of the experience of awe, people were living in the moment, thus elongating their time perception and making them more satisfied than otherwise.

Discovering new things improves one’s perception of time. To quote Da Vinci: “Life well-spent is long.”