What happens when you realize you’ve been taking time for granted?

That question sits at the heart of my latest Beyond the Page conversation with author, musician, and storyteller Ray Hartjen.

Ray was 54 when routine blood work eventually led to a diagnosis of multiple myeloma. Despite feeling healthy at the time, a bone marrow biopsy revealed the seriousness of what he was facing. That experience eventually became the foundation for his memoir, Me, Myself & My Multiple Myeloma.

But our conversation isn’t only about cancer.

It’s about what happens after life forces you to reconsider how you’re spending your time.

Ray shares a simple question that became an important philosophy in his life:

If not now, when?

For Ray, the answer meant recognizing how easily we assume there will always be another day, another week or another opportunity to call someone, pursue something meaningful or spend time with the people who matter. His diagnosis pushed him to reconsider those assumptions and deliberately refocus his priorities.

We also talk about storytelling and why Ray decided to share something so personal. His memoir has connected him with patients and caregivers around the world, allowing the story of one person’s experience to become a resource for others navigating their own.

From there, our conversation moves into Ray’s other writing, including nonfiction, espionage thrillers and a deeply personal upcoming project inspired by the granddaughter he is expecting to welcome into his family.

It’s a conversation about writing and creativity, but even more than that, it’s about time, and what we choose to do with the amount we’re given.

Listen to the latest episode of Beyond the Page wherever you get your podcasts, or watch the full conversation on YouTube.