Time

At last! Inspiration! I definitely started this blog thinking I would not neglect it for two months after four posts..."life got busy" as they say. I actually don't really know how to respond when someone says that to me.

Here's why!

What are you busy doing? If it's watching TV or creeping on other people's facebook profiles, then I applaud you for this stellar use of time.
Working? I hope you love what you are doing.
Hanging out with friends? AM I NOT ONE OF THOSE FRIENDS? Thanks for the clear message.
School? Legit, but having just graduated I can tell you that once you leave the academic world you still need to fall back on yourself. Do you enjoy yourself and what you have to offer?

This is one of my biggest questions in life. Are we aware of how we spend our time? Are we connected, purposeful, and content? Does that even matter to us? Should it? I think being alive on this magnificent planet requires us to do a lot more than pass time mindlessly, or fret away the hours, particularly on this portion of the planet that is so affluent beyond belief.

Humor me, if you will, for a moment. I'm just throwing this out there:

Take a look around right now. Is anyone nearby? Are you expecting someone to come home later? Can you say something kind to them? Can you offer someone a hug? Who can you text a word of encouragement or praise? Smiling! How simply brilliant and effective. How many seconds did that take?
 
What do you have control over in your work/school/volunteering? Now, what can you change if you are frustrated, and what can you accept knowing that it is helping you accomplish a higher goal? Is your working time producing good outcomes for you?
Is that person who snapped at you today, yesterday, or five years ago really worth losing your peace over? Are you making yourself a victim? Is that helping or hurting you?  Do you give attention and amplification to the positive or the negative thoughts that fly through your astonishing brain? Do you feel like you must think about whatever comes into your head? What if you didn't?  Can you separate who you are from what you feel? Do negative feelings last forever? Are you a bad person if you encounter a horrible feeling? It takes time to dwell on thoughts and emotions, so are the ones you focus on worth it?

Be mindful and see where it takes you in a day, a week, a year. I'm wearing nice clothes right now and I just had lunch. How many people in the world can say that? There, three seconds contributed towards a mindset of gratefulness.

The Law of Happiness is just one of many easy reads on how to spend your mental time well. I believe nobody is effective when they are sad, brooding, or victimized. Is focusing on happiness selfish? No. Because when you like your life you are 100% more likely to make it count. Instead of draining from your relationships and circles of influence, you make the most of them. Instead of feeling sorry for yourself you recognize what you do have to offer. The greatest luxury in the world is the freedom to exercise the power of choice that every human has a right to. And we have it.
I would like to remind you that you are free to spend your time in whatever way you choose. Mentally, spiritually, and physically.

A Poem from Grandma's Refrigerator Door

I have only just a minute,
Only sixty seconds in it.

Forced upon me, can't refuse it.
Didn't seek it, didn't choose it.
But it's up to me
to use it.

I must suffer if I lose it.
Give account if I abuse it.

Just a tiny little minute,
but eternity is in it.