Time seems to be a subject that keeps finding me this week. I read a brief article about how one of society’s biggest challenges is not having enough time in our days and so I began thinking ( I know, a dangerous situation). Whether we are baby boomers or young couples with growing children, time is an element we all struggle with. Something connected popped up when I saw a video about how to create an extra 15 minutes per day to do with what you will. How do you do this you ask? I think it’s pretty simple; either set your alarm 15 minutes earlier or…and I witness this every day, get up when your alarm goes off. So many people that I sleep with (that was supposed to be funny) set their alarm and hit the snooze button and then simply lie there listening to the radio prattle on while pretending to get a few more minutes of rest. What could be more un-restful than snooze alerts and radio voices. Constantly tossing to try and get a few more ZZZZ’s and knowing the end is near – yuck. OK, so the method of finding 15 more minutes is easy – get out of bed, but to me, the bigger issue is now that you have created an extra 15 minutes – what do you do with it?
So, I started with a list of things NOT TO DO. No TV, no email and no social media – my gawd how will you survive??? Keep going dear reader, the answer awaits. My friend Howard Parsons, The Reinvention Equation, would highly recommend meditation and what a change that would create in your life – incredible. But there are also other pursuits like some stretching or yoga that would produce positive results in your life, too. Some of us might use the time to write – aha! Would that make a difference in the world?
BOOMER TUNES ALERT
While driving home the other night, this song came on the radio and it’s one of the greatest party songs of all time. As I was singing along I realized that, other than the chorus, I have no idea what the lyrics are and I doubt that you or anyone else (including the band) does either. I googled the lyrics when I got home and they make no sense but that does not diminish the greatest party tune ever. Give it a listen and I know that Bruce Mazur and I could still sing the hell out of the chorus, couldn’t we Maze? Come back afterwards for more thoughts on time.
Just before you started dancing and singing I was talking about how to make use of your extra 15 minutes and how you can use it to make a difference in the world. Regular readers of this corner will remember the series of posts that I did about creating the story of your life – your Legacy Bio. Yes, you could use your 15 minutes to start working on that. Think that creating and sharing your story would not make a difference in the world? You would be so wrong. I promise that creating your story will change your life and the lives of your family and friends. Want proof?
Jillian Lee is a mother, wife, library manager, and a very talented filmmaker. In addition to that, she is one of the most courageous persons I know. She has spent much of her time telling the stories of others and has now decided that she must share her own story as well. As followers of this blog, you know how I feel about the importance of recording your story. You know that it will bring completion to your life in addition to the possibility of offering so much more than mere cold facts to your family and friends. I generally talk about writing your life story but there other ways to do it and other reasons to do it too. Sometimes there are parts of our lives that we need to face that become cathartic when revealed and allow us to heal ourselves. That takes tremendous courage and even more so when you are brave enough to let it help others by “putting it our there.”
To see and hear courage in action, I suggest that you view Jillian’s YouTube video and subscribe to her channel for updates. It may inspire your next step to offering your own life story for your benefit and the opportunity to make a difference to those you love.
And finally, time sometimes creates a sadness and loss for us. This past week, a friend from Winnipeg of almost 40 years passed away. Pat Pinchin suffered a serious heath issue for many years but I can honestly say that I never once saw her without a smile on her face. I’m sure there were moments when physical pain took a toll on her but she suffered in private and never let it affect her friends. RIP Pat and much strength and peace to Rick and Jeffrey.
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