Do you own your time or does it own you?
“The ultimate of being successful is the luxury of giving yourself the time to do what you want to do.” Leontyne Price
What does time mean to you? Do you use it to make yourself happy? Or do you let it shoehorn you into a life that gives you little or no pleasure?
Once upon a time, a young man graduated from the school he admired most; he became a professional in a town he chose from many; he married a beautiful young woman; he had two equally lovely young daughters. From the outside in, he had the perfect life. Except . . .
He spent most of his free time fulfilling duties. He spent days working; he chose to work three jobs to support his family in the style he believed was necessary for them. Evenings, he did lengthy, intricate paperwork to support his three jobs. Weekends he often took over baby sitting chores. He was often too tired to truly enjoy the little girls.
Why did he do this to himself and his family? When asked, he said, “I just don’t have time for anything.” In fact, his lack of time makes him feel important and responsible. Instead, his stress level is unhealthy; his extreme fatigue makes it impossible for him to enjoy the fruits of his labor. Time, the way he uses it, is a tyrant. Yet it need not be so.
Time is a currency in our lives; we can choose how to spend it as we can choose how to use our financial resources. Time is a resource.
Meditation for the Day
“One ought, every day at least, to hear a little song, read a good poem, see a fine picture, and, if it were possible, to speak a few reasonable words.” Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe
Action for the Day
Today, I will sit down for a moment with a pen and paper and create three columns. One will say “Must do,” the next “Can be eliminated,” and the third will say “For my pleasure.” I will slowly eliminate those time consuming tasks that are not absolutely necessary and use that time to buy me some pleasure, relaxation and joy. I need this and I deserve this.
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