One day, you will wake up and realize that the years you thought you had are now the years you wish you could have back.
That thought has been on my mind lately.
In a few months, I will be turning 51.
Fifty-one.
I find myself smiling as I write that number. Not because life has been easy, not because I have accomplished everything I dreamed of, and certainly not because I have all the answers.
I smile because I am still here.
Still breathing. Still dreaming. Still fighting. Still learning. Still being given another day by God, our Creator.
And for that, I am deeply grateful.
Life has been difficult. I have faced challenges that tested my patience, decisions that weighed heavily on my heart, and seasons when the future seemed uncertain. Even today, I cannot say that everything is going exactly as I planned.
But I am happy.
Not the kind of happiness that comes from having everything, but the kind that comes from understanding that everything I have is a gift.
And as I approach another chapter of my life, I find myself thinking about the younger generation.
If I could sit across the table from every young person today, I would want to tell them something that took me decades to truly appreciate:
Live while you are young. But please, understand what it really means to live.
Because living is not simply about enjoying the moment.
It is about making the moment count.
1. You Think You Have All the Time in the World. You Don't.
When we are young, time feels endless.
We say, "I'll do it tomorrow."
"I'll start next year."
"I'll change when I'm older."
"I'll spend time with my parents when I'm less busy."
"I'll get serious about my faith when I've settled down."
And perhaps the most dangerous thought of all:
"I still have plenty of time."
I understand that thinking because I was young once, too.
But time has a strange way of moving. Days become months. Months become years. And suddenly, the young person who thought fifty was impossibly far away is preparing to turn fifty-one.
Where did all those years go?
According to the World Health Organization, global life expectancy at birth reached approximately 73 years in 2019, before declining during the COVID-19 pandemic. That figure is not a promise to any individual. It is a reminder that human life is finite.
Even if God grants us a long life, the years are not unlimited.
Psalm 90:12 offers a prayer that becomes more meaningful to me with age:
"Teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom."
I used to think growing older was mostly about gaining experience. Now I realize it is also about recognizing the value of what remains.
To the young people reading this: do not wait until you are fifty to understand the worth of being twenty.
My advice: Treat every morning as an opportunity entrusted to you by God. Before you reach for your phone, ask yourself: "What can I do today that will make this day meaningful?"
2. Don't Confuse Having Fun With Having a Life
Let me make something clear.
I am not telling young people to stop having fun.
Enjoy your youth!
Travel when you can. Laugh with your friends. Fall in love. Discover new places. Learn new skills. Celebrate your achievements. Make beautiful memories.
God did not create a world filled with beauty so that we would never appreciate it.
But there is a difference between enjoying life and wasting it.
You can spend an entire night laughing with friends and come home with a heart full of gratitude.
Or you can spend that same night doing things that slowly destroy your health, your character, your relationships, and your future.
The difference is not always in the activity.
Sometimes, it is in the purpose behind it.
Our generation did not grow up with the same technology that young people have today. Today, entertainment is available every second. A person can spend hours scrolling through videos, watching other people's lives, comparing achievements, and chasing temporary excitement.
And before they realize it, another day is gone.
Research published in Nature Communications in 2018 found that people tend to experience a decline in happiness around midlife, followed by improvement later in adulthood, although patterns vary across individuals and circumstances.
It reminds me that the excitement of youth is not necessarily the same as lasting happiness.
At my age, I am discovering that some of life's greatest pleasures are remarkably simple.
A peaceful morning.
A meaningful conversation.
A problem finally resolved.
The opportunity to help someone.
The knowledge that I have done something pleasing to God.
These may not make exciting social media posts.
But they make a meaningful life.
My advice: Enjoy yourself, but never allow temporary pleasure to steal something valuable from your future. Make memories you will be proud to remember.
3. Success Means Nothing If You Lose Yourself Along the Way
As an entrepreneur and the President and CEO of OneNetworx, I have spent years building businesses, pursuing opportunities, making decisions, and trying to turn ideas into reality.
I know what ambition feels like.
I know what it means to wake up thinking about unfinished work and go to bed with problems still waiting to be solved.
I know the excitement of pursuing a dream.
And I know the disappointment when things do not turn out as expected.
Entrepreneurship has taught me many lessons, but perhaps one of the most important is this:
You can build a business, earn money, gain recognition, and still miss the most important things in life.
There is nothing wrong with wanting to become successful.
Work hard. Dream big. Build something meaningful. Become financially responsible. Create opportunities for other people.
But never allow success to become your god.
Never become so busy earning a living that you forget how to live.
Never sacrifice your integrity for an opportunity.
Never treat people as stepping stones toward your ambitions.
And never measure your worth only by the money in your bank account.
Jesus asked a powerful question in Mark 8:36:
"For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?"
That question deserves serious reflection.
I am still building. I am still pursuing dreams. I still want OneNetworx to grow and create more opportunities.
But my greatest desire is not simply to build a successful company.
It is to become a man whose life honors God.
If business success comes, I want to receive it with humility.
If difficulties come, I want to face them with faith.
And if one day I must leave everything I have built behind, I hope what remains is more valuable than any company or material possession.
My advice: Pursue your ambitions, but establish your values before success tests them. Decide early what you will never compromise, regardless of the reward.
4. The People You Love Will Not Always Be There
This is one of the hardest truths about growing older.
As we age, we become more aware that life changes.
People grow older. Families change. Friends move away. Relationships take different directions. And sometimes, people leave this world sooner than we expected.
When you are young, it is easy to assume that the people around you will always be there.
Your parents will always be available.
Your friends will always be a phone call away.
There will always be another birthday, another reunion, another opportunity to say what needs to be said.
But life does not guarantee those opportunities.
And sometimes, the words we fail to say become the regrets we carry.
"I love you."
"Thank you."
"I'm sorry."
"I forgive you."
"I'm proud of you."
Such simple words.
Yet so many people wait too long to say them.
The Harvard Study of Adult Development, one of the longest-running studies of adult life, has repeatedly emphasized the importance of close relationships to well-being.
Psychiatrist Robert Waldinger, one of the study's directors, summarized its central lesson in a widely shared TED Talk:
"Good relationships keep us happier and healthier. Period."
At fifty, approaching fifty-one, I increasingly understand why relationships matter more than appearances, status, or applause.
You can replace a broken phone.
You can rebuild a business.
You can earn money again.
But you cannot purchase yesterday.
And you cannot recover a moment that has passed.
My advice: Spend time with the people who matter. Call your parents. Check on your friends. Express gratitude. Apologize when necessary. Do not wait for a funeral to say the beautiful things someone deserved to hear while alive.
5. Don't Wait for Life to Become Easy Before You Become Grateful
If there is one thing I want people to understand about my life today, it is this:
I am happy, but my life is not free from difficulties.
I still have responsibilities.
I still face uncertainties.
There are problems I am trying to solve, dreams I am still working toward, and prayers I am still waiting for God to answer.
Some days are exhausting.
Some decisions are painful.
Some challenges seem to arrive before the previous ones have even been resolved.
But through it all, I have learned to be grateful.
Not because everything is good.
But because God is good.
That distinction has changed how I look at life.
When we are young, we often attach happiness to conditions.
"I'll be happy when I graduate."
"I'll be happy when I get a good job."
"I'll be happy when I become rich."
"I'll be happy when I have my own house."
"I'll be happy when all my problems disappear."
But what happens when we finally achieve one dream and immediately begin chasing another?
Will happiness always remain somewhere in the future?
Psychological research has found meaningful associations between gratitude and well-being. In a 2003 study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, researchers Robert Emmons and Michael McCullough found that participants who regularly focused on blessings reported benefits in several measures of well-being.
Science is not the foundation of my faith, but I appreciate how such findings echo a lesson Scripture has long taught.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 says:
"In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."
Notice that it does not say to be thankful only when life is comfortable.
For me, gratitude means recognizing God's goodness even in the middle of uncertainty.
I thank Him for another morning.
For the strength to continue.
For the lessons hidden inside difficulties.
For the people who have supported me.
For opportunities to serve.
And even for the challenges that remind me how much I still need His guidance.
My advice: Before sleeping tonight, identify three things for which you are genuinely grateful. Do this even on difficult days. Especially on difficult days.
6. Your Youth Is Not Just for Yourself. It Is Also for Others.
One thing I wish more young people would understand is that a meaningful life is not measured only by what we receive.
It is also measured by what we give.
The world constantly tells us to focus on ourselves.
Build your brand.
Increase your followers.
Grow your income.
Protect your image.
Become somebody.
There is nothing inherently wrong with personal growth. But what if becoming somebody is not the highest purpose of life?
What if the greater achievement is becoming someone who makes life better for others?
Someone who creates opportunities.
Someone who encourages a struggling friend.
Someone who helps a family in need.
Someone who chooses honesty when dishonesty would be easier.
Someone who uses their talents to serve God and humanity.
As I reflect on my own journey, I realize that the value of building OneNetworx is not merely in the businesses we develop.
It is also in the people we can help, the livelihoods we can support, and the opportunities we can create.
That gives my work a deeper meaning.
Research on prosocial behavior has found that helping others can contribute to personal well-being. A 2008 study published in Science by Elizabeth Dunn and colleagues found that spending money on others was associated with greater happiness than spending it on oneself.
To me, that reflects a beautiful principle.
Life becomes richer when it is shared.
You do not have to be wealthy to be generous.
You do not have to be powerful to make a difference.
You do not have to wait until you are successful to begin serving.
Sometimes, all it takes is your time, your attention, your encouragement, or your willingness to help.
My advice: Do one good thing for someone every day without expecting recognition or repayment. Make service a habit while you are young.
7. The Greatest Achievement Is a Life That Pleases God
As I approach my fifty-first birthday, this is the thought closest to my heart.
I do not know how many more years God will give me.
Perhaps many.
Perhaps fewer than I hope.
Only He knows.
But whatever time remains, I want to use it well.
I want to become more patient.
More forgiving.
More generous.
More understanding.
More faithful.
I want to continue working, building, learning, and helping others.
But above everything else, I want to spend every second of my remaining life serving and pleasing God, our Creator.
I know I am far from perfect.
I have made mistakes.
There are things I wish I had done differently, words I wish I had not spoken, and moments I wish I had handled with greater wisdom.
But I am grateful that God continues to give me opportunities to grow.
And that is something I want every young person to understand.
You do not have to wait until you are old to begin living for God.
You do not have to experience a major failure before seeking His guidance.
You do not have to lose everything before recognizing what truly matters.
Ecclesiastes 12:1 gives a beautiful reminder:
"Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth."
Not after you have enjoyed everything the world offers.
Not after you have exhausted every opportunity.
Not when you are too tired to pursue anything else.
Now.
While you are young.
While you have energy.
While your dreams are still taking shape.
While your future is filled with possibilities.
Give God a place in your decisions, your relationships, your ambitions, and your daily life.
Because youth is not only a season for discovering who you want to become.
It is also a season for discovering whom you are called to serve.
My advice: Begin each day with a simple prayer: "Lord, thank You for another day. Guide my decisions, guard my heart, and help me use this life in a way that pleases You."
You may be surprised how much changes when you stop asking only what you want from life and begin asking what God wants you to do with it.
A Personal Message to the Younger Generation
If you are in your teens, twenties, or thirties, I want you to imagine something.
Imagine meeting yourself thirty years from now.
Your hair may be turning gray.
Your face may carry the marks of time.
Your responsibilities may be very different.
You may have achieved some dreams and let go of others.
And as you sit across from that older version of yourself, imagine asking one question:
"Are you happy with how I am living my life today?"
What do you think your older self would say?
Would that person thank you for taking care of your health?
For working hard when it mattered?
For choosing good friends?
For respecting your parents?
For learning to forgive?
For having the courage to pursue meaningful dreams?
For putting God first?
Or would that person quietly wish you had spent less time worrying about what others thought, less time chasing temporary pleasures, and more time appreciating the life you had been given?
I cannot answer that question for you.
But I can tell you this from where I stand today.
Fifty-one no longer seems old to me.
In fact, I still feel that there is so much more to discover, so much more to accomplish, and so much more to give.
I am not finished.
I am not surrendering my dreams.
I am not waiting for life to pass me by.
I am still moving forward, one day at a time, trusting the God who has carried me this far.
And if there is one thing I hope the younger generation learns from my journey, it is that you do not need to have a perfect life to live a beautiful one.
You only need to recognize its value.
Final Thoughts: I Am Turning 51, but I Am Still Learning How to Live
When I look back at my younger years, I do not want to spend my remaining days trapped in regret.
I cannot go back and change yesterday.
I cannot reclaim the hours I wasted.
I cannot undo every mistake.
But I can learn.
I can grow.
I can forgive.
I can love more deeply.
I can serve more faithfully.
And I can make better use of the time God continues to give me.
Perhaps that is one of the greatest gifts of growing older: the realization that life was never meant to be measured only in years.
It should be measured in love given, lessons learned, lives touched, faith strengthened, and moments lived with purpose.
So, to every young person reading this:
Go ahead. Dream big.
Build your future.
Explore the world.
Laugh until your stomach hurts.
Love your family.
Cherish your friends.
Work hard for your ambitions.
Take care of your body and mind.
Be kind even when the world is not.
Have the courage to begin again when you fail.
And through it all, never forget the One who gave you life in the first place.
Live while you are young.
But do not merely live for today.
Live in such a way that your tomorrow will thank you.
And when you finally reach fifty, sixty, seventy, or whatever age God allows you to see, may you look back not with the painful question, "Where did my life go?"
But with a grateful heart that says:
"Thank You, Lord. It was not always easy. I did not always get it right. But You were with me, and I tried to make every day count."
As for me, I am about to turn fifty-one.
My journey is far from over.
I still have mountains to climb, dreams to pursue, people to help, and lessons to learn.
And by God's grace, I will continue.
Not simply to become more successful.
Not simply to build something bigger.
But to become a better man, a more faithful servant, and a person whose life brings glory to the One who created him.
Because the real tragedy is not growing old.
The real tragedy is growing old without ever discovering what it truly means to live.
And the beautiful truth?
As long as God gives us another day, it is never too late to begin.
To God be all the glory.
I am not afraid of growing old. I am more concerned about growing old without having lived the life God intended for me.
Angelo R. Villamejor
