Time is on Your Side!

Do you have time to read a bit more about Time?  Last week I blithely said that yes, you have enough time, and I truly meant it.  There is enough time in life to do what is important.  There may not be enough time to get home from work and feed your kid a healthy, home-cooked meal before soccer practice, but there is time to nurture, love, and teach that same kid through childhood.  Some things have to fall by the wayside, and it is up to you to decide how to spend your time.

And notice how we use “no time” as an excuse:  When a friend calls asking for help with the school fashion show and you cannot think of anything more tortuous, you will beg off, saying “Oh, I simply don’t have the time.”  A moment later the phone rings again and you are asked to help with the animal shelter’s adoption drive.  Oh, those cute kittens! All of a sudden Time reappears and you eagerly say “yes”.   Hmmm, interesting.  Is it true that you don’t have time to vacuum the house (reoccurring theme for me, you can tell that’s an issue in this house!), or is it that you would rather read a magazine?  Do you really not have time to help out with the Girl Scout Cookie Sale, or do you just not want to?  

Time is getting a bad rap, being used as a scapegoat for getting out of unpleasant tasks.  Leave Time alone!  It knows how to get the job done and doesn’t appreciate being bullied.  There is enough time.  You just have to learn how to get along with it. 

Time's a'Wasting!

Someone recently asked me to do something because she didn’t have time to do one more thing.  Her calendar was full and her stress level was building.  I had the feeling she thought that since I didn’t clock in at an office every day, I had loads of time.  I said yes and did the task right away so I wouldn’t have to think about it.  It ended up taking me about an hour, and I learned a new computer skill along the way.  Time well spent.

No one has enough time.  There is no such thing as spare time.  We have to make a concerted effort to afford ourselves some leisure time.  Time is speeding up and we are racing to keep pace.  The clock is ticking!

Holy Minute Hand, Batman!  Let’s use one of our precious moments to take a deep breath.  I’m about to give you an early Christmas present:  You have enough time.  Take a look at your yesterday.  You had a list of things to do and you got some of them done.  Or you got all of them done.  Or you got none of them done.  But the time was there for your use, in any way you chose.  If you didn’t vacuum the house because your neighbor dropped by for a cup of tea, you had time for your neighbor.  If you accomplished every task on your list then dropped exhausted on the couch in the evening, there was time for that, too. 

Time may be limited, but every second is there for the taking.  And there is enough.  Take the time to help your neighbor.  Take the time for a quick nap.  Yes, there are deadlines and while you can always vacuum tomorrow, you still have to get your kids fed and to the practice field on time tonight; but don’t make Time your enemy.  Get to work on time and don’t waste time (is that even possible?) and take your time.  And breathe and smile and check off your list.  Or not.

All in a Name?

Wednesday and no post.  I don’t have a topic, and I can’t find the time.  My email notice reminds me frequently and I make a mental note for “later”.

This morning I was vacuuming and dusting and listening to a Caroline Myss book on my iPod when the phone rang.  “Hi, it’s Bernadette,” the voice said.  I ran through my list of friends and acquaintances with that name.  I surprisingly know a fair number of Bernadettes.  It took another sentence from her to realize it was my college roommate.  We speak only about every 10 years, it seems, but her voice registered quickly.

I’m going to skip the part about how excited I was to hear her voice (it’s not the Om Hour, after all), and get to the nitty-gritty.  We were placed in the same room at college –   Room 711, a lucky number! – because our names were similar.  The RA thought it was cute.  Bernadette was Psychology, I was English.  Fast forward twenty-nine (!)  years and Bernadette is in the Holistic healing business down in Virginia with massage, oils, reflexology, and more.  And here I am, practicing and sharing yoga, reiki, and meditation. She’s coming to visit soon and boy, we’re going to have to talk fast!

So, the thread that linked us when we were younger has held fast through absence; it’s even grown stronger without us knowing!  We thought it was all in the names, but I guess it was more than that. Synchronicity.  It’s a beautiful thing.

Say What?!

Mutter, mutter.  “It’s too much!”  Grumble, grumble.  “What, is she crazy?”  Snort, snerk.  “Trying to find time to relax just makes me more stressed out.”

Okay, maybe an hour a day is too much to ask.  (I’m referencing last week’s message.)  As a wise friend said when I complimented her on her consistent appearance at yoga class, “As soon as I decided that one yoga class a week was enough, and stopped thinking I should be taking two, it was like a weight lifted off my shoulders.  Now I come to class gladly instead of having to force myself.”

So, while it’d be nice to take an hour day for quiet, alone time, you are the only one who truly knows what is best for you, in your life, at this time.  Make an honest assessment – no guilt trips, no excuses – and see how that feels.  And take the time to notice all the little hors d’oeuvres of joy and delight that present themselves during your day, and enjoy the moment.

Om shanti. Peace.

Tick-Tock

Everyone agrees there is not enough time in a day to do all the things we "need" to do; but twenty-four is all we get.  Next time you are pressed for time, try to step back and assess what it is you are trying to accomplish.  It is true that some days you truly could use some extra time.  Most days, though, the time crunch is self-inflicted.

Take a look at all you plan to accomplish today.  Some responsibilities are non-negotiable so put them at the top of your list.  Next, add a few minutes of breathing space for a walk or a meditation or a yoga class.  After that, finish the rest of your agenda with a smile in your heart.  If the extras you do during the day are only making you cranky, skip them.  If you love to keep busy, then follow that instinct.

Twenty-four hours is plenty.