Valuing the moment

"... the only time you ever have in which to learn anything or see anything or feel anything, or express any feeling or emotion, or respond to an event, or grow, or heal, is this moment, because this is the only moment any of us ever gets. You’re only here now; you’re only alive in this moment."

-- Jon Kabat-Zinn

Many people regularly squander their time. They live under the assumption that they'll live forever. As a result, they don't value the present as a precious opportunity that will never come again.

Others continually race against time, trying to cram too many activities into each hour, and suffering stress in the process.

In our view, we are more effective and most happy when we balance being and doing. We continually ask ourselves what’s most important to get done. And we’re learning to BE -- fully present -- when we do. We also regularly give ourselves permission to relax.

Make today really matter.

It's all you'll ever have.

"Very few of us know how much we can put into life if we use it properly, wisely, and economically. Let us economize our time -- lifetimes ebb away before we wake up, and that is why we do not realize the value of the immortal time God has given us."

-- Paramahansa Yogananda

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Plenty of time?

He promised his son they would camp out all night, 

Get up very early before it was light, 

And go to the lake where the hungry fish bite. 

But he put off the trip for the plan wasn't right. 

After all -- he had plenty of time.

He promised his wife they would soon get away 

For a week, or a night, or just part of a day, 

To rekindle the love they had let go astray. 

But his work for the present left no time for play. 

After all -- he had plenty of time.

He promised his daughter he'd teach her to ski. 

When he bought snow equipment, she shouted with glee. 

Each year as she dreamed that the ski slopes she'd see, 

Her skis gathered dust -- on deaf ears fell her plea. 

After all -- he had plenty of time.

He vowed to his parents he'd visit them more, 

And offer his help with a much needed chore. 

They lovingly looked for his face at the door, 

And grieved when his absence went on as before. 

After all -- he had plenty of time. 

He thought that one day when his life was more slow, 

He'd find a good church where he wanted to go, 

And learn from the Bible the things he should know, 

While talent and goods on the poor he'd bestow. 

After all -- he had plenty of time.

His death came before some folks thought it was due, 

And it shocked all his family, and friends that he knew. 

So they buried him high on a hill with a view, 

To watch through the seasons as life starts anew. 

After all -- he has plenty of time.

By Betty Jo Mings

How many times do you catch yourself saying "I'll start on this or that tomorrow"?  The approach of a new year got me thinking about this since it is always a new beginning, a time of making resolutions for the future . . . a benchmark to start a new project, get healthy . . . as a society, most of us do it ritually.

The realism of lives cut short hit home again for The Captain and me in the past couple of months . . . those people in our lives whose time ran out without warning.

One, a seemingly healthy man in his early 50's got up one morning, washed his boat, came inside to take a shower, collapsed and died of a sudden heart attack.  Just like that his life was over without warning.  Most of his family members didn't even get to say goodbye . . . there wasn't enough time.  A successful man of means whose money couldn't buy him the time to enjoy the fruits of his labor.

Time . . . something we all perceive we have plenty of.

Another . . . a troubled and lost 40-something confirmed bachelor who drifted through life with a free spirit attitude, possessing a lust for life that many of us would envy.  He was a blue-collar construction worker afflicted with pains from an old injury.  His doctor prescribed all the meds he needed for pain management.  After a night of partying on Thanksgiving Eve, he peacefully passed away in his sleep as his mom cooked Thanksgiving dinner in the other room.  Drug overdose . . . he stretched the limits of mixing drugs and alcohol just like so many others do every day.  His time of pushing those limits ran out.

This post is not intended to be morbid or a downer . . . take it as an inspiration to celebrate life to the fullest every single day that you are blessed with.  

The one thing in life that is an absolute . . . 

no one escapes time running out.

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Time is eternity

"Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice, but for those who love, time is eternity."

Henry Van Dyke

In the race of life, I have experienced all the
above phases, although I prefer "time is eternity."

The phase of waiting made me feel as though I was
going through life standing in front of a pot of cold
water ponderously watching it take forever to boil.

Fearing life itself does not make time pass swiftly
for me, although the time that passes is painfully
agonizing as fear gripped every moment of my life.

Too much of my life has been spent grieving those
I have loved and lost . . . the phase seems to never
want to go away once it rears its ugly head.

The joyous times have been way too far
and few between and zipped by way too fast.

My times of learning how to be grateful for little
things, having faith that "tomorrow will be a better
day" and the belief that fairy tale love does exist
has made all the frustrating phases of life worth
the bad times. My belief that love is eternal . . .

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Life's answers

“Time is life. It is irreversible and irreplaceable. 
To waste your time is to waste your life, 
but to master your time is to master
 your life and make the most of it.”

Alan Lakein

Refuse to feel USED by life!
Make full use of it instead.

To do this, we initially need to take control of the time of our lives.
Time management is life management, from the inside out.
It’s an INSIDE job.

You already have everything you need.
You have the power to create a life of meaning, fulfillment and joy.

Your challenge is to find what works for you!
Review the literature but make your own decisions.

To do this, you’ll need to:

* Get to know yourself --
your desires and passions, rhythms,
styles, challenges, needs and habits.

* Be aware that you always have choice.
Claim your independence and power
to choose what is right for your life,
moment by moment.

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