Have you ever given yourself the “gift of time?” Truly, it is the gift that keeps on giving. If you have ever had a meeting canceled, a snow day at work or school, your IT system go down or an appointment canceled that you really did not want to keep; you have been given the gift of time. Such a gift is ineffable, it is hard to describe. You want to shout and jump for joy. I can hear myself thinking the words of Martin Luther King: “Free at last, free at last, thank God almighty, we are free at last.” The ‘gift of time” becomes my freedom. Perhaps, not in the sense that MLK was thinking about these words, but my feeling of freedom is real. I am free with time to spend and no immediate obligations or responsibilities to spend it on.
How often do you get a “gift of time?” Usually, it happens because somebody or something forces us to give up time that we had scheduled. We rely on others to give us this gift. Perhaps it is special because it is seldom planned. Ironically, it is free for us to give to ourselves, if we choose. Maybe we should give ourselves this gift more often. We are often reluctant to cancel or change plans because we feel responsible or we feel that we don’t have the right to change prior decisions on how we will spend out time. We are afraid of being seen as unreliable. However, it is your perfect right to change your mind. If things are getting hectic or you feel overwhelmed, give yourself a gift of time. You have the right to give yourself the ‘gift of time” whenever you choose to.
Do you have meetings or appointments that you really don’t want to go to? Do you schedule things and later regret that you did? What if you canceled these? What is the worst thing that could happen? Would they really fire you? Maybe if you did it too often, you would suffer drastic consequences. However, occasionally, you should think of giving yourself a gift of time. Try it today, see how it feels. Just don’t cancel that meeting with your boss.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
Can you make a wish today?
Have you ever heard of “wish” time? We take the time to wish in a fountain, we wish on stars, we make wishes when we pray and sometimes we simply make a wish. A certain portion of our lives is spent wishing. Perhaps some of us wish too much and others do not wish enough. Wishing without action is fruitless, but action without a dream is worthless. Wishing can be a metaphor for what we want out of life or what we hope our lives can become.
Karen and I went to visit Rome a few years ago. On part of a tour we took, there was a large fountain (made famous in the movie “Three Coins in a Fountain”) called the Trevi Fountain. You stood with your back to the fountain, threw a coin over your shoulder and made your wish. If you did this properly, you would someday return to Rome and your wish would be granted. I am not sure if either will come true but we did it anyway. I love to throw coins in fountains, pools or wishing wells and make a wish. I don’t know if any has come true since I seldom keep track of my wishes. I guess if I were more organized, I could keep an Excel spreadsheet on my wishes. One column would be place, one date and one the wish I made. The final column would be a metric on the degree of success I had with that particular wish at that place. Perhaps some places are better for wishing than for others. I am sure a more scientific analysis could help us to determine the best places to wish in the world and even which wishes are most likely to come true. On the other hand, I would not hold my breath.
How much time each day do you spend wishing? Are you someone who spends too much time wishing or not enough? Are you too much of a daydreamer or someone who days not dream of what can be? What would you need to do to get a better balance of wish time in your life? What would it take to make your wishes a reality? Wishes can become dreams. Dreams can become goals and goals can become reality.
Karen and I went to visit Rome a few years ago. On part of a tour we took, there was a large fountain (made famous in the movie “Three Coins in a Fountain”) called the Trevi Fountain. You stood with your back to the fountain, threw a coin over your shoulder and made your wish. If you did this properly, you would someday return to Rome and your wish would be granted. I am not sure if either will come true but we did it anyway. I love to throw coins in fountains, pools or wishing wells and make a wish. I don’t know if any has come true since I seldom keep track of my wishes. I guess if I were more organized, I could keep an Excel spreadsheet on my wishes. One column would be place, one date and one the wish I made. The final column would be a metric on the degree of success I had with that particular wish at that place. Perhaps some places are better for wishing than for others. I am sure a more scientific analysis could help us to determine the best places to wish in the world and even which wishes are most likely to come true. On the other hand, I would not hold my breath.
How much time each day do you spend wishing? Are you someone who spends too much time wishing or not enough? Are you too much of a daydreamer or someone who days not dream of what can be? What would you need to do to get a better balance of wish time in your life? What would it take to make your wishes a reality? Wishes can become dreams. Dreams can become goals and goals can become reality.
Friday, August 27, 2010
How much time are you capable of juggling?
Who is not juggling time today? When we talk about multi-tasking it is like the juggler who must keep four or five balls in the air at the same time. With all of the demands on our time, we are all acrobats with time. We have become a nation of time jugglers. Our mantra is “no time.” As time jugglers, we must be very careful not to let one of the balls hit the ground. We have numerous tools to help us keep the balls in the air. We have clocks, stop watches, regular watches, alarms, bells, buzzers, PDA’s, cell phones and GPS to incessantly remind us of our juggling chores. Time to switch, time to stop, time to start, time to go, time to do it, time to relax, time to run, time to exercise, time to visit, time to work, time to let go, time to sleep, time for ourselves, time for family, time, time and more time. We are both jugglers and rats in a maze of time. Running and running to find our way out of the maze while not dropping any of the balls that we are juggling.
Have you learned the fine art of “time juggling?” Can you keep the balls all up in the air without dropping any? Where did you learn your juggling skills? Did you attend the Institute of Time Management or the Institute of Life and Coping skills? Have you become a “master” juggler yet? A master juggler astounds us with how much they get done and how successful they are. They are the supermen and superwomen of today’s modern world. How we ask do they get so much done and never break a sweat!
Perhaps we all need to take more training in “time management.” Pick up one of the million books on time management or take one of the billion courses on “how to better manage your time.” If you have already taken one of these courses, maybe it is time for you to attend a refresher class. On the other hand, what would happen if you stopped juggling time for a day? Where would the balls all go? Do you ever notice which balls are harder and which are easier for you to juggle? Why do you suppose some are harder and some easier? Try juggling one less ball today, see how it feels. Do two less tomorrow and three less the next day. Perhaps you will one day have no balls to juggle and then you will not need any time management. What do you think that would feel like? Imagine a day without any balls to juggle?
Have you learned the fine art of “time juggling?” Can you keep the balls all up in the air without dropping any? Where did you learn your juggling skills? Did you attend the Institute of Time Management or the Institute of Life and Coping skills? Have you become a “master” juggler yet? A master juggler astounds us with how much they get done and how successful they are. They are the supermen and superwomen of today’s modern world. How we ask do they get so much done and never break a sweat!
Perhaps we all need to take more training in “time management.” Pick up one of the million books on time management or take one of the billion courses on “how to better manage your time.” If you have already taken one of these courses, maybe it is time for you to attend a refresher class. On the other hand, what would happen if you stopped juggling time for a day? Where would the balls all go? Do you ever notice which balls are harder and which are easier for you to juggle? Why do you suppose some are harder and some easier? Try juggling one less ball today, see how it feels. Do two less tomorrow and three less the next day. Perhaps you will one day have no balls to juggle and then you will not need any time management. What do you think that would feel like? Imagine a day without any balls to juggle?
Thursday, August 26, 2010
What if you could live your time backwards?
Living time backwards! I once heard someone say that it would be wonderful if we could be born 90 years old and grow younger instead of older. We would be born old and naïve and as we got younger, we would progressively be wiser and healthier. It is a very intriguing idea if you do not stop too long to question the anatomical difficulties. Imagine being at the height of your physical prowess and having lived 60 years already. What would it be like to have lived for 60 years and have the physical age of a thirty year old?
Many things which I do not even begin to attempt today would not seem as challenging or difficult. I would not feel like my life was running down. Instead, I would feel like my life was running up. I probably would not be worried about retirement benefits, health insurance or funeral arrangements. Growing younger rather than older physically would change our entire world perspective. We would be getting smarter and healthier with each passing day. The mistakes of youth would now belong to old age; with youth would come wisdom instead of inexperience. We would become better drivers and athletes as we became “younger.” Imagine what effect this would have on the sporting world. Teams would be looking for younger people who were really older in age but who came with thirty or forty or even fifty years of experience. Today most athletes peak in their late twenties with perhaps fifteen or so years of experience. If we lived backwards we would peak in our twenties but with 40 or more years of experience. The impacts on the entertainment world and academic worlds would be equally profound. Imagine “young” people in these fields with forty or more years of experience.
What endeavors would you start today, if you suddenly became twenty or more years younger? What mistakes would you have been able to avoid if you had the wisdom you had now several years ago? What if you knew for certain that you were going to live another sixty years? How would this knowledge change your life?
Many things which I do not even begin to attempt today would not seem as challenging or difficult. I would not feel like my life was running down. Instead, I would feel like my life was running up. I probably would not be worried about retirement benefits, health insurance or funeral arrangements. Growing younger rather than older physically would change our entire world perspective. We would be getting smarter and healthier with each passing day. The mistakes of youth would now belong to old age; with youth would come wisdom instead of inexperience. We would become better drivers and athletes as we became “younger.” Imagine what effect this would have on the sporting world. Teams would be looking for younger people who were really older in age but who came with thirty or forty or even fifty years of experience. Today most athletes peak in their late twenties with perhaps fifteen or so years of experience. If we lived backwards we would peak in our twenties but with 40 or more years of experience. The impacts on the entertainment world and academic worlds would be equally profound. Imagine “young” people in these fields with forty or more years of experience.
What endeavors would you start today, if you suddenly became twenty or more years younger? What mistakes would you have been able to avoid if you had the wisdom you had now several years ago? What if you knew for certain that you were going to live another sixty years? How would this knowledge change your life?
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
What is the meaning of your life?
One month to live! What if your doctor told you today that you had one month to live? Not a very pleasant thing to think about but something that could indeed happen to each of us. What would you do? Of course, you say you would start doing those things that were most important to you. Chances are you would quit your job, tell everyone you could that you loved them, go out and buy something you had always wanted, make sure your bills and expenses were all in order and finally you might think about arranging your funeral. Would the last thirty days of your life be the happiest or would they be the saddest days of your life?
Would doing the things I noted above make them the best thirty days you had ever spent or would these tasks just be chores like you had been doing for so many years. What would it take to make the last thirty days, the best thirty days of your life? What would you really need to do? This is not an easy question because most of us think first of obligations and commitments and responsibilities. Secondly, we think of making amends to those we have hurt or loved.
Our lives are so inundated with tasks and chores that even if we knew we were dying, we would simply start filling up our remaining time with more tasks and chores. One has to understand the “meaning of life” to really live life. This meaning lies in finding the unique value that each of us has to give to the world. It lies not just in doing but in being. An old Cherokee saying goes “When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced. Live your life so that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice.”
Have you found the meaning of your life? How could a notice of your impending death help you to find this meaning if you have not already found it? How can you find the meaning of your life today and live it 365 days a year? Maybe you should not wait until you only have thirty days left to think about this question.
Would doing the things I noted above make them the best thirty days you had ever spent or would these tasks just be chores like you had been doing for so many years. What would it take to make the last thirty days, the best thirty days of your life? What would you really need to do? This is not an easy question because most of us think first of obligations and commitments and responsibilities. Secondly, we think of making amends to those we have hurt or loved.
Our lives are so inundated with tasks and chores that even if we knew we were dying, we would simply start filling up our remaining time with more tasks and chores. One has to understand the “meaning of life” to really live life. This meaning lies in finding the unique value that each of us has to give to the world. It lies not just in doing but in being. An old Cherokee saying goes “When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced. Live your life so that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice.”
Have you found the meaning of your life? How could a notice of your impending death help you to find this meaning if you have not already found it? How can you find the meaning of your life today and live it 365 days a year? Maybe you should not wait until you only have thirty days left to think about this question.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Can you spare a moment today?
“One moment please!” I can still hear Lily Tomlin saying that line on the Laugh-In show when she played the obnoxious telephone operator Ernestine. Her voice was dripping with sarcasm and we all knew that it was going to be a heck of a lot longer than one moment. Come to think of it, we generally know it will be a lot longer than “one” moment whenever someone says: “One moment please.”
What is one moment anyway? One definition of the word moment is: “an indefinitely short period of time.” If you read this definition carefully, you will notice a “catch” word. Do you see it? Right! the word “indefinitely!” There is no real specification to this word as when someone says one minute or even one second. We know these are unreal specifications, but they are still definite. With the phase “one moment please”, we do not have any specification. Is one moment shorter than two moments or ten moments? This would all depend on the length of a moment, which has no definition. Thus, one moment becomes a sort of carte blanche to be as long as one likes. Imagine, calling in late to your company and saying “Sorry I am going to be late, I will be there in one moment.” What would your boss reply? He/she would probably not know what to say. Or else, it might not be something you would like to hear.
We could probably all be more patient and the words “one moment please” would be easier to tolerate. We could then reply to the Ernestines of the world with “No problem.” How long a moment can you be patient with? What do you say when someone tells you they will just be “one moment?” What would you really like to say? Perhaps you are a very patient person and one moment is very easy to deal with.
What is one moment anyway? One definition of the word moment is: “an indefinitely short period of time.” If you read this definition carefully, you will notice a “catch” word. Do you see it? Right! the word “indefinitely!” There is no real specification to this word as when someone says one minute or even one second. We know these are unreal specifications, but they are still definite. With the phase “one moment please”, we do not have any specification. Is one moment shorter than two moments or ten moments? This would all depend on the length of a moment, which has no definition. Thus, one moment becomes a sort of carte blanche to be as long as one likes. Imagine, calling in late to your company and saying “Sorry I am going to be late, I will be there in one moment.” What would your boss reply? He/she would probably not know what to say. Or else, it might not be something you would like to hear.
We could probably all be more patient and the words “one moment please” would be easier to tolerate. We could then reply to the Ernestines of the world with “No problem.” How long a moment can you be patient with? What do you say when someone tells you they will just be “one moment?” What would you really like to say? Perhaps you are a very patient person and one moment is very easy to deal with.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Do you know the value of "massage" time?
Massage time. Have you ever had a professional back massage? There is nothing like it. Well, let’s just say, there are few things that can rival it. Time melts as does your body when given a one hour massage with warm oil and hot rocks. Strong hands caressing every part of my body and you don’t have to do anything except lay there. Prices for a one hour massage differ all over the world. In some places, you can get a massage for 5 dollars and in other places; it will cost you 150 dollars.
I love how time dissolves during a massage. I don’t think about what I have to do later or where I am going next. When I get up from the massage table, my body feels like it is floating. My massage time is a black hole created by the serendipitous juncture of desire, money and the availability of the masseuse that I like best. When all these three factors are in sync, it creates “massage time.”
Finding time for a massage can be very tricky. When I have the time, the person I like to see is usually booked up. I tend to like to call when I really need it and not plan ahead. Those times when I feel achy or stressed or I just want to relax more. If you have never experienced massage time, you are really missing one of the joys of life. You might say that you can’t afford it, but I would bet you spend a lot more than sixty dollars (the going rate in most parts of the US) on other stuff that you buy. Thus, it is really, whether massage is a priority. Try it once and I guarantee it will become one of your priorities. Massage time is a gift that you give yourself and it will become a special time in your life like no other.
You do not have to be a professional to enjoy a massage. Karen and I have been getting and giving each other massages for twenty years now. It will add years to your life. What stops you from getting or giving a massage? When will you try it? If you can’t make the commitment, ask someone you love to give you a gift certificate for a massage. You will never forget this gift once you use it.
I love how time dissolves during a massage. I don’t think about what I have to do later or where I am going next. When I get up from the massage table, my body feels like it is floating. My massage time is a black hole created by the serendipitous juncture of desire, money and the availability of the masseuse that I like best. When all these three factors are in sync, it creates “massage time.”
Finding time for a massage can be very tricky. When I have the time, the person I like to see is usually booked up. I tend to like to call when I really need it and not plan ahead. Those times when I feel achy or stressed or I just want to relax more. If you have never experienced massage time, you are really missing one of the joys of life. You might say that you can’t afford it, but I would bet you spend a lot more than sixty dollars (the going rate in most parts of the US) on other stuff that you buy. Thus, it is really, whether massage is a priority. Try it once and I guarantee it will become one of your priorities. Massage time is a gift that you give yourself and it will become a special time in your life like no other.
You do not have to be a professional to enjoy a massage. Karen and I have been getting and giving each other massages for twenty years now. It will add years to your life. What stops you from getting or giving a massage? When will you try it? If you can’t make the commitment, ask someone you love to give you a gift certificate for a massage. You will never forget this gift once you use it.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Are you living each day the best that you can?
Live for Today was a popular song in 1967 written by the Grass Roots. You may remember some of the lyrics:
Sha-la-la-la-la-la, live for today,
And don't worry 'bout tomorrow, hey, hey, hey
Sha-la-la-la-la-la, live for today,
Live for today.
The tune was very catchy and I can still hear it in my mind although I have not heard the song for perhaps twenty years now. The message is obvious but one that often eludes most of us. Live each day as fully as we can. It’s a shame to think that we do not live each day this way. Are we waiting for a message to arrive with our final notice? What if the message never comes? Some people will get up today and never realize that it is their last day on earth. If they lived each day the best they could, it would not matter.
Would your life be better today if you could follow the advice in this song? If not, then don’t. However, if your life would be better then think a few minutes about what you can do to live differently today. The point of reflection and meditation is to help us focus our thinking so that we can live more in the present. Maybe it is not your last day on earth, but maybe it is someone else’s last day whom you love. Maybe your living differently will make their last day more meaningful.
But what if today was your last day on earth? What would you do differently as you got up today knowing you only had this day left? Would you suddenly try to make amends with people? Would you savor each moment more and take more time to look around and observe life? How would you spend your last day on earth?
Sha-la-la-la-la-la, live for today,
And don't worry 'bout tomorrow, hey, hey, hey
Sha-la-la-la-la-la, live for today,
Live for today.
The tune was very catchy and I can still hear it in my mind although I have not heard the song for perhaps twenty years now. The message is obvious but one that often eludes most of us. Live each day as fully as we can. It’s a shame to think that we do not live each day this way. Are we waiting for a message to arrive with our final notice? What if the message never comes? Some people will get up today and never realize that it is their last day on earth. If they lived each day the best they could, it would not matter.
Would your life be better today if you could follow the advice in this song? If not, then don’t. However, if your life would be better then think a few minutes about what you can do to live differently today. The point of reflection and meditation is to help us focus our thinking so that we can live more in the present. Maybe it is not your last day on earth, but maybe it is someone else’s last day whom you love. Maybe your living differently will make their last day more meaningful.
But what if today was your last day on earth? What would you do differently as you got up today knowing you only had this day left? Would you suddenly try to make amends with people? Would you savor each moment more and take more time to look around and observe life? How would you spend your last day on earth?
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Are you living in the present and taking life one day at a time?
“Take Life one day at a time.” This is probably the most common advice ever given and also perhaps the most seldom taken. Whether we are recovering from an accident, surgery or some other traumatic event, we have all thought about the need to take life one day at a time. But what does it really mean to take life one day at a time? How else could you live except one day, one hour, one minute and one second at a time? You might think that you have another choice, but you don’t. I cannot live tomorrow except in my mind. My only reality is the moment. Tomorrow will be lived one second at a time tomorrow. Today, I live each moment in the present.
Thus, the true meaning of this phase must be found in our desire and thoughts and not in our actuality. We live somewhere else in our minds. I fantasize about yesterday, tomorrow or some other time. I avoid the present by daydreaming or wishing I were someone or somewhere else. In my mind, the time is not today and I am not living now. I am worrying about the future or what I want to happen. I fritter my life away by allowing my mind to wander elsewhere and to deal with problems that have not yet happened.
The essence of meditation and spirituality is to live in the present. When we live in the present, our lives are more grounded and we are able to experience the reality we have now. When we allow ourselves to live elsewhere, we really do not live at all. We become so busy thinking about and worrying about some other time, that we are not able to experience the moment. Henry David Thoreau said: “You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment.” A key essence of all the great spiritual teachings is the importance of living in the present.
What stops you from living in the present? Do you worry about the future and fret about the past? What can you do to learn to live more in the present? What is one thing that would help you towards this goal today? How would your life be different if you could live more in the present each day?
Thus, the true meaning of this phase must be found in our desire and thoughts and not in our actuality. We live somewhere else in our minds. I fantasize about yesterday, tomorrow or some other time. I avoid the present by daydreaming or wishing I were someone or somewhere else. In my mind, the time is not today and I am not living now. I am worrying about the future or what I want to happen. I fritter my life away by allowing my mind to wander elsewhere and to deal with problems that have not yet happened.
The essence of meditation and spirituality is to live in the present. When we live in the present, our lives are more grounded and we are able to experience the reality we have now. When we allow ourselves to live elsewhere, we really do not live at all. We become so busy thinking about and worrying about some other time, that we are not able to experience the moment. Henry David Thoreau said: “You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment.” A key essence of all the great spiritual teachings is the importance of living in the present.
What stops you from living in the present? Do you worry about the future and fret about the past? What can you do to learn to live more in the present? What is one thing that would help you towards this goal today? How would your life be different if you could live more in the present each day?
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Can we stop death?
Life-cycle time is a business term that refers to the average life expectancy of a new product. Generally, a new product goes through four stages. The four stages are: development, growth, maturity and decline. Marketers must make different decisions about a product depending on what stage the product is in. Some products have a lifecycle that could be measured in decades. Ivory soap and Kikkoman soy sauce have been around for over a hundred years. Many products (fad items) can come and go inside of a few weeks. Some products disappear never to return such as Davy Crockett hats while others (hula hoops) make a comeback. In some respects, the product life cycle concept mirrors our human life cycle. We grow, develop, mature and age/decline. Some would argue we get better with age, but each day of aging brings us closer to if not decline, then at least death.
Marketers will do everything they can to stop the decline of a product, since it is very costly to develop new products. It would seem we do not hold human life in as high regards as products or perhaps human life is viewed from a perspective of greater expediency. On the one hand, we are horrified to see the death toll from war mount up, but on the other hand, we take for granted the nearly 50, 000 automobile deaths in the USA each year. We accept that these deaths are the price we pay for our high tech life styles. Imagine if fifty thousand Americans were killed in the any war this year. People would be screaming to end the war. Do we just assume nothing can be done about highway deaths? Why not make the same effort to protect people from an early death as we do to protect products from an early death.
Each of us has our own life cycle. We will all grow, develop, mature and decline. We cannot stop the cycle of life and death but it seems to make sense to find a way to prevent premature decline or accidental death. What can we do about this neglect? How can we all stop taking death for granted? What would it take to get you to complain about the number of deaths from accidents in this country? What causes of death bother you the most? Would you be willing to take a stand to demand more attention and research be paid to preventing accidents? What about war? Do you accept the inevitability of war? If not, how can we all work to stop war? What can you do today to play a role in stopping war?
Marketers will do everything they can to stop the decline of a product, since it is very costly to develop new products. It would seem we do not hold human life in as high regards as products or perhaps human life is viewed from a perspective of greater expediency. On the one hand, we are horrified to see the death toll from war mount up, but on the other hand, we take for granted the nearly 50, 000 automobile deaths in the USA each year. We accept that these deaths are the price we pay for our high tech life styles. Imagine if fifty thousand Americans were killed in the any war this year. People would be screaming to end the war. Do we just assume nothing can be done about highway deaths? Why not make the same effort to protect people from an early death as we do to protect products from an early death.
Each of us has our own life cycle. We will all grow, develop, mature and decline. We cannot stop the cycle of life and death but it seems to make sense to find a way to prevent premature decline or accidental death. What can we do about this neglect? How can we all stop taking death for granted? What would it take to get you to complain about the number of deaths from accidents in this country? What causes of death bother you the most? Would you be willing to take a stand to demand more attention and research be paid to preventing accidents? What about war? Do you accept the inevitability of war? If not, how can we all work to stop war? What can you do today to play a role in stopping war?
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Do you know what tech time is and the role it plays in your life?
Tech-time is the time it takes to give birth to the next generation of technology. Tech-time seems to be moving faster and faster. We no sooner understand and can barely program the current technology and the new technology comes along. New technology immediately sends the older technology into obsolescence. However, old technology does not become an antique, just junk. You even have to pay extra to the trash haulers to cart away your old computers and printers. The junk yards will pay you for an old car but you have to pay them to take a used computer. Old technology is beyond junk, it is a nuisance. The other day I tried to load some old files I had and I found that the programs I wrote them in were so aged; I could not find anyway to open them. My new programs would not recognize them.
When the new technology comes out, you must get on board, or the train will leave you standing in the cold. Some people actually worship old technology. The name Luddites refers to a group of people who opposed change in technology because of its negative impact on workers. There are many of us who cling to the old and familiar and are perhaps not as enamored of the productivity gains we are told to expect from new technology. I am not one of them. I love the newest and greatest and I am usually the first to buy or try something new. Again, that is probably why I find antiques worthless. Give me the latest greatest productivity enhancing tools.
Which group are you in? Do you love new technology and can hardly wait for the next generation or do you find comfort in the old tried and true equipment? Why do you think you make the choices you do around technology? Does your feeling of time and change play a role in the technology you choose? How do you feel about the increased speed of tech-time in your life? Are you missing the potential advantages of new technology by holding onto the old? Do you think technology has made your life better or worse? Would you be happier with fewer changes or do you crave more?
When the new technology comes out, you must get on board, or the train will leave you standing in the cold. Some people actually worship old technology. The name Luddites refers to a group of people who opposed change in technology because of its negative impact on workers. There are many of us who cling to the old and familiar and are perhaps not as enamored of the productivity gains we are told to expect from new technology. I am not one of them. I love the newest and greatest and I am usually the first to buy or try something new. Again, that is probably why I find antiques worthless. Give me the latest greatest productivity enhancing tools.
Which group are you in? Do you love new technology and can hardly wait for the next generation or do you find comfort in the old tried and true equipment? Why do you think you make the choices you do around technology? Does your feeling of time and change play a role in the technology you choose? How do you feel about the increased speed of tech-time in your life? Are you missing the potential advantages of new technology by holding onto the old? Do you think technology has made your life better or worse? Would you be happier with fewer changes or do you crave more?
Monday, August 16, 2010
Do you value old things or old people?
Antiques and time seem to go together. The older something is the more likely we are to call it an antique. Have you ever wondered how old something has to be before it is an antique? Rocks are very old and no one calls them antiques. One person’s antiques are often another person’s junk. The one thing I notice about antiques is that people of the “time” were more than happy to get rid of them. The last thing in the world they would have thought of was to hold onto these “antiques.” Back before their “antique” became “priceless,” if they could have traded up for something newer or better they would have. However, once something becomes an “antique” we want to hold on to it regardless of how useless or out of style it may be. Antiques seem to write their own rules for style.
Those who are into antiques would never question the style or function of an antique in comparison to some new product. The very virtue of an antique seems to lie in its age. The fact that it is old is one of the major determinants of an antiques price. Yet in some areas of the world, things that are antiques in one country would be new items. I notice for instance that objects in the Midwest of the USA do not have to be as old as on the East Coast to be considered an antique. Of course, the condition and rarity of an item also contribute to the value of an antique but the defining characteristic is age.
Why do we value (some of us anyway) old things, when our current society seems to devalue anything that’s old. If we say that something is out of style, no one wants it. However if it is really old and can be called an antique, then it becomes desirable. If this is true, then perhaps more old people should be classified as antiques. It does not seem that our society really values the aged any more.
I notice that there are those who love antiques and those who find them useless. I am in the latter category. I really do not care much for antiques. I do not value age as much as functionality and most “antiques” are obsolete by today’s standards. I have always liked the newest and most useful gadgets that are in the marketplace. I prefer Japanese motorcycles over old Harley Davidsons. Which group are you in? Do you love antiques? Why? What draws you towards an antique? Do you value the age in people or just in things? Do you think age is important and do you show as much respect for the elderly as you do for antiques? Do you value old things or old people?
Those who are into antiques would never question the style or function of an antique in comparison to some new product. The very virtue of an antique seems to lie in its age. The fact that it is old is one of the major determinants of an antiques price. Yet in some areas of the world, things that are antiques in one country would be new items. I notice for instance that objects in the Midwest of the USA do not have to be as old as on the East Coast to be considered an antique. Of course, the condition and rarity of an item also contribute to the value of an antique but the defining characteristic is age.
Why do we value (some of us anyway) old things, when our current society seems to devalue anything that’s old. If we say that something is out of style, no one wants it. However if it is really old and can be called an antique, then it becomes desirable. If this is true, then perhaps more old people should be classified as antiques. It does not seem that our society really values the aged any more.
I notice that there are those who love antiques and those who find them useless. I am in the latter category. I really do not care much for antiques. I do not value age as much as functionality and most “antiques” are obsolete by today’s standards. I have always liked the newest and most useful gadgets that are in the marketplace. I prefer Japanese motorcycles over old Harley Davidsons. Which group are you in? Do you love antiques? Why? What draws you towards an antique? Do you value the age in people or just in things? Do you think age is important and do you show as much respect for the elderly as you do for antiques? Do you value old things or old people?
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Can you add to Karen's list of time killing ideas?
Let’s KILL some time today. If you are not afraid of killing time and are fearless of the consequences, here is a list my spouse suggested of time killers that she likes:
• Driving around with no place to go or reason to go anywhere
• Suduku puzzles
• Computer solitaire
• Sitting in the sun reading a book
• Sleeping in
• Playing an instrument for fun and not practice
• Window shopping when she does not plan to buy anything
These are just some of the ways that she likes to kill time. If none of the above ideas works for you, try one of your own ideas. Imagine a book not based on time management but on “killing time.” A book that is full of creative and imaginative ways to do nothing productive. Sounds sinful, like eating desert before your meal, or having two popcorns at the movie theater or goofing off when you should be working. Well, the world has a lot more books on managing time than on killing time. Perhaps a few days a year devoted to not being productive would be good for all of us. It might lower the national stress level. Indeed, a measure or Index of National Stress might be a good tool for determining how well the country is doing. Perhaps if stress levels were lower, the crime rates or at least road rage cases would fall.
How does it feel to kill time? Do you feel guilty? Can you take a day without doing anything productive? When was the last time you really goofed off and had a lazy day? Do you ever goof off at work? If we behaved more like little children, do you think we would have more fun albeit less productive lives? Could you survive the guilt?
• Driving around with no place to go or reason to go anywhere
• Suduku puzzles
• Computer solitaire
• Sitting in the sun reading a book
• Sleeping in
• Playing an instrument for fun and not practice
• Window shopping when she does not plan to buy anything
These are just some of the ways that she likes to kill time. If none of the above ideas works for you, try one of your own ideas. Imagine a book not based on time management but on “killing time.” A book that is full of creative and imaginative ways to do nothing productive. Sounds sinful, like eating desert before your meal, or having two popcorns at the movie theater or goofing off when you should be working. Well, the world has a lot more books on managing time than on killing time. Perhaps a few days a year devoted to not being productive would be good for all of us. It might lower the national stress level. Indeed, a measure or Index of National Stress might be a good tool for determining how well the country is doing. Perhaps if stress levels were lower, the crime rates or at least road rage cases would fall.
How does it feel to kill time? Do you feel guilty? Can you take a day without doing anything productive? When was the last time you really goofed off and had a lazy day? Do you ever goof off at work? If we behaved more like little children, do you think we would have more fun albeit less productive lives? Could you survive the guilt?
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Are you guilty of killing time?
I am just killing time! How many times have you used this expression? If time is really precious, then should anyone be allowed to kill time? Some might say that it was criminal to kill time. What if people killing time could be charged with a crime?
Imagine a world in 2099, when time is so important and in such short supply that the government passes a law which states: “Anyone killing time, idling time or otherwise wasting time, will be charged with a capital offense, and subject to punishment and imprisonment commensurate with the amount of time killed.” Time Police would be appointed to enforce the new law and a Department of Homeland Time Conservation would be established to find ways to “save” time that might otherwise be killed or wasted. No longer would we be able to kill time. Who among us today would be innocent of such a crime?
How many of us are already guilty of “killing” time every day? When the most common phrase heard is “no time”, how could any of us waste such a valuable resource? What if there was an adoption center for “unwanted time”; would you put your time up for adoption rather than waste it? Or perhaps we need a “Goodwill Center for Time” where you could donate extra time for those who really needed it. How much time could you donate each month? How about some of that time you waste watching TV or playing Video Games?
Patriotism calls us forward! Don’t wait for the government to pass a law forbidding the killing of time. Act now and forever stop wasting and killing time. Act before it is too late. However, if you really want to kill time anyway, I am going to suggest several ideas in my next reading that might help you to do a good job of it.
Imagine a world in 2099, when time is so important and in such short supply that the government passes a law which states: “Anyone killing time, idling time or otherwise wasting time, will be charged with a capital offense, and subject to punishment and imprisonment commensurate with the amount of time killed.” Time Police would be appointed to enforce the new law and a Department of Homeland Time Conservation would be established to find ways to “save” time that might otherwise be killed or wasted. No longer would we be able to kill time. Who among us today would be innocent of such a crime?
How many of us are already guilty of “killing” time every day? When the most common phrase heard is “no time”, how could any of us waste such a valuable resource? What if there was an adoption center for “unwanted time”; would you put your time up for adoption rather than waste it? Or perhaps we need a “Goodwill Center for Time” where you could donate extra time for those who really needed it. How much time could you donate each month? How about some of that time you waste watching TV or playing Video Games?
Patriotism calls us forward! Don’t wait for the government to pass a law forbidding the killing of time. Act now and forever stop wasting and killing time. Act before it is too late. However, if you really want to kill time anyway, I am going to suggest several ideas in my next reading that might help you to do a good job of it.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Why worry about dying?
“Some day a company of men and women will process off to a church and lower a coffin and everyone will go home, but one will not come back, and that will be me.” – Karl Barth. Karl Barth was acknowledging with his comment the inevitability of his own death. How many of us think about our deaths? Perhaps it seems morbid to reflect on death, but death will come whether you want to think about it or not.
Each day the papers and news bring us a slew of deaths. Some if not most are unpredictable and tragic. Many are testimony to the seemingly endless cruelty of man to his or her own kind. However, reading about the deaths of others is not the same as thinking about your own death. To some extent our fascination with the deaths of others is a way of avoiding thinking about our own deaths. When we are young we think we will live forever. Many of us continue to avoid the issue of death until perhaps it is staring us in the face. We want to deny that we get old. We deny that we are loosing our youth. We deny that we need to watch our weight and our health. Aging is a very gradual process that seems to be marked by a series of losses until one day we lose life itself. We may never know it until it is too late to think about it. What good will it do you to worry about something that is inevitable?
For me, thinking about my death is not a process for dealing with death as much as it is a process for dealing with life. I set my goals and compass knowing full well that death could come at any moment. I make my amends and ask my forgiveness from others knowing that tomorrow might be too late. I don’t put off the things I want to do in life because the time might not be there to do them in the future. There is a saying that I try to live by. It goes as follows: “live each day as though it may be your last, but spend your money as though you will live forever.” The life we live can be one of quality or it can be one of fear and despair. As Caesar said “Cowards die many times before their deaths, the brave die only once.”
Will you be ready for death when it comes? If you were to die today, would you be satisfied with the life you have lead? Could you leave this earth and look back down with the feeling that you left it a better place? Could you say you have done your best? Did you leave with only friends and no enemies? What would it take to change your life now so that you are ready to go, whenever death comes calling?
Each day the papers and news bring us a slew of deaths. Some if not most are unpredictable and tragic. Many are testimony to the seemingly endless cruelty of man to his or her own kind. However, reading about the deaths of others is not the same as thinking about your own death. To some extent our fascination with the deaths of others is a way of avoiding thinking about our own deaths. When we are young we think we will live forever. Many of us continue to avoid the issue of death until perhaps it is staring us in the face. We want to deny that we get old. We deny that we are loosing our youth. We deny that we need to watch our weight and our health. Aging is a very gradual process that seems to be marked by a series of losses until one day we lose life itself. We may never know it until it is too late to think about it. What good will it do you to worry about something that is inevitable?
For me, thinking about my death is not a process for dealing with death as much as it is a process for dealing with life. I set my goals and compass knowing full well that death could come at any moment. I make my amends and ask my forgiveness from others knowing that tomorrow might be too late. I don’t put off the things I want to do in life because the time might not be there to do them in the future. There is a saying that I try to live by. It goes as follows: “live each day as though it may be your last, but spend your money as though you will live forever.” The life we live can be one of quality or it can be one of fear and despair. As Caesar said “Cowards die many times before their deaths, the brave die only once.”
Will you be ready for death when it comes? If you were to die today, would you be satisfied with the life you have lead? Could you leave this earth and look back down with the feeling that you left it a better place? Could you say you have done your best? Did you leave with only friends and no enemies? What would it take to change your life now so that you are ready to go, whenever death comes calling?
Monday, August 9, 2010
How about taking a vacation from time?
The British writer John B. Priestly once observed “A good holiday is one spent among people whose notions of time are vaguer than yours.” I suppose this means that other people are not keeping time for us or putting us on a schedule. How often do we meet the clock only because we worry about offending others? Would we be as scheduled if the feelings of our friends, relatives and employers were not an issue? Who among us would wear a watch or bother keeping time, if there were no consequences to be paid for “being late” or not being “on time?”
What if there was a vacation where you could get away from time? Let’s call it a “Time Free Vacation.” Here is what a “Time Free Vacation” would be like. No one is allowed to wear a watch. There are no schedules to be met. You can get up whenever you want to. You can eat whenever you want to and leave when you want to. Everything you would like to see and do is available anytime you want to visit. Furthermore, you do not have to be home at any special time, so you could continue this vacation as long as you desired.
How many of us would take such a vacation? Can you imagine what would it would be like to live like this for a month? How about an entire year? Do you think you would be able to come back to keeping time again? Would the world miss you while you were out of the loop?
When you go on a vacation, do you leave your watch at home? Is it possible for you to forget about time, even when you are on a vacation? What keeps you married to time? Have you ever considered a divorce? How about taking one day off a month or even a year from time? Give yourself a gift of a “Time Free Vacation.”
What if there was a vacation where you could get away from time? Let’s call it a “Time Free Vacation.” Here is what a “Time Free Vacation” would be like. No one is allowed to wear a watch. There are no schedules to be met. You can get up whenever you want to. You can eat whenever you want to and leave when you want to. Everything you would like to see and do is available anytime you want to visit. Furthermore, you do not have to be home at any special time, so you could continue this vacation as long as you desired.
How many of us would take such a vacation? Can you imagine what would it would be like to live like this for a month? How about an entire year? Do you think you would be able to come back to keeping time again? Would the world miss you while you were out of the loop?
When you go on a vacation, do you leave your watch at home? Is it possible for you to forget about time, even when you are on a vacation? What keeps you married to time? Have you ever considered a divorce? How about taking one day off a month or even a year from time? Give yourself a gift of a “Time Free Vacation.”
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Can you spare two seconds?
Two seconds can be a lifetime. Your entire life can sometimes pass before your eyes in two seconds. If you have ever had a close encounter or accident, the world can seem like it is standing still while your life flashes ahead. In two seconds, a vehicle moving at 70 mph will travel 204 feet. If you see something in the road and you blink, you have just traveled 102 feet before you have even reacted. Two seconds can mean the difference between life and death several times over.
We never appreciate time as much as when we have a close call. A close call (maybe even less than two seconds) brings us face to face with death. Your heart will beat so hard that it may feel like you have just finished a marathon. After a close call, many people go into a state of shock even without any injuries. Several years ago while on a trip to London, I stepped off the curb and looking the wrong direction (it appears buses in England drive on the left side of the street), I stepped in front of a moving bus. Karen pulled me back just before the bus would have flattened me. My heart was beating a mile a minute and I could not believe I was still alive. Karen’s admonition to be more careful mattered very little to me at this time.
After a close call is over and you have calmed down, you may reflect on how precarious life really is and perhaps on what you could do to use it more wisely. None of us need these traumas in our life, but having had several of them myself, I appreciate life a great deal more. I seldom take death lightly or for granted and while I am not morbid about it, I live each day with the possibility of death in my mind. I think these events have made me more appreciative of the brief candle that life is.
Have you ever had a two second close call? What do you remember about the event? How did it change your life? Do you take life for granted or do you live each day fully knowing it may be your last?
We never appreciate time as much as when we have a close call. A close call (maybe even less than two seconds) brings us face to face with death. Your heart will beat so hard that it may feel like you have just finished a marathon. After a close call, many people go into a state of shock even without any injuries. Several years ago while on a trip to London, I stepped off the curb and looking the wrong direction (it appears buses in England drive on the left side of the street), I stepped in front of a moving bus. Karen pulled me back just before the bus would have flattened me. My heart was beating a mile a minute and I could not believe I was still alive. Karen’s admonition to be more careful mattered very little to me at this time.
After a close call is over and you have calmed down, you may reflect on how precarious life really is and perhaps on what you could do to use it more wisely. None of us need these traumas in our life, but having had several of them myself, I appreciate life a great deal more. I seldom take death lightly or for granted and while I am not morbid about it, I live each day with the possibility of death in my mind. I think these events have made me more appreciative of the brief candle that life is.
Have you ever had a two second close call? What do you remember about the event? How did it change your life? Do you take life for granted or do you live each day fully knowing it may be your last?
Friday, August 6, 2010
How do you celebrate your birthday?
Birthdays come once a year, unless you were born on leap year. They are a time for celebration. A birthday is a personal holiday. It seems a shame that companies don’t give us our birthdays off as a paid holiday. When did people start celebrating birthdays? Did Adam and Eve celebrate their birthdays? If so, there is no mention in the bible of this fact. One would think that since they were the first people in the world, they would have been eager to celebrate their birthdays. Perhaps they had too much else going on.
According to Wikipedia, the following are some facts about birthdays:
• Large-scale celebration of birthdays in Europe began with the cult of Mithras, which originated in Persia but was spread by soldiers throughout the Roman Empire.
• Birthday celebrations were rare during the Middle Ages but saw a resurgence with the advent of the Reformation.
• The celebration of birthdays is not universal in the West; in addition to those people preferring name day celebrations, Jehovah's Witnesses do not celebrate either, considering them to be pagan festivals along with Christmas and Easter.
It is a good thing we don’t all have to march to the same drummer. Some of us prefer to celebrate our birthdays and some do not. I have developed a habit of trying to do something very unique every fifth birthday. This has become a way of challenging myself every five years to do something different or to face a personal fear. Thus on my 55th birthday, I did my first skydive. I had always been afraid of heights so jumping out of a plane at about 4000 feet was a real challenge. Sometimes the challenges have been physical and other times more emotional. I am determined at my next “fifth” to take acting lessons. This would be very out of character for me and a real challenge personally and emotionally. Thus, birthdays can mark a time of growth as well as a time of passage. I have known people who bring their own birthday cakes to work to help others celebrate their birthdays.
Birthdays can be as creative as you want to make them. You can even have an “unbirthday party and celebrate 364 days a year, except of course on your actual birthday. How do you regard your birthdays? Do you see them as a time of growth, creativity, and playfulness, or do you regard birthdays with dread and loathing? What do you do to make your birthdays special? Do you wait for others to remember you or do you remember yourself? Why not take charge and give yourself the birthday of your dreams this year?
According to Wikipedia, the following are some facts about birthdays:
• Large-scale celebration of birthdays in Europe began with the cult of Mithras, which originated in Persia but was spread by soldiers throughout the Roman Empire.
• Birthday celebrations were rare during the Middle Ages but saw a resurgence with the advent of the Reformation.
• The celebration of birthdays is not universal in the West; in addition to those people preferring name day celebrations, Jehovah's Witnesses do not celebrate either, considering them to be pagan festivals along with Christmas and Easter.
It is a good thing we don’t all have to march to the same drummer. Some of us prefer to celebrate our birthdays and some do not. I have developed a habit of trying to do something very unique every fifth birthday. This has become a way of challenging myself every five years to do something different or to face a personal fear. Thus on my 55th birthday, I did my first skydive. I had always been afraid of heights so jumping out of a plane at about 4000 feet was a real challenge. Sometimes the challenges have been physical and other times more emotional. I am determined at my next “fifth” to take acting lessons. This would be very out of character for me and a real challenge personally and emotionally. Thus, birthdays can mark a time of growth as well as a time of passage. I have known people who bring their own birthday cakes to work to help others celebrate their birthdays.
Birthdays can be as creative as you want to make them. You can even have an “unbirthday party and celebrate 364 days a year, except of course on your actual birthday. How do you regard your birthdays? Do you see them as a time of growth, creativity, and playfulness, or do you regard birthdays with dread and loathing? What do you do to make your birthdays special? Do you wait for others to remember you or do you remember yourself? Why not take charge and give yourself the birthday of your dreams this year?
Thursday, August 5, 2010
When was the last time you took a nap?
Naptime has always been one of my favorite moments. I love taking naps. Many people do not. There is also a stereotype in which “older” people need naps but younger ones do not need them. I have been taking naps all of my life. Ever since I can remember, I love taking naps in the afternoon. I can nap for only thirty minutes and feel so wonderful after. I remember interviewing for a job a few years ago and the “much” younger woman behind the desk kept mentioning to me that “we really need to do things fast around here.” I felt like telling her that I could not really do things that fast since I would have to nap each day right after lunch.
Is the world divided into napers and non-napers? In some parts of the world, an afternoon nap or siesta time is traditional. In other countries, the work ethic does not permit naps. Naps probably started going out the door with the Industrial Revolution; another casualty of our hectic life in the so called “modern” or civilized world. I have seen some recent articles talking about how healthy it is to take naps. Maybe it is time to start a trend or fad. Here is one way I think we could do it. Nap Parties!
We have alls sorts of parties but has anyone ever invited you over to a “nap party?” When you were a child, you may have gone to a slumber party but only if you were a girl. Men were always too macho for that kind of an activity. That was just for “silly” girls. You might argue that nap parties would not work because as our economies develop and the world gets more competitive, we don’t have time for such foolishness. We need to be more productive and get things done. What would business and industry be like if everyone took naps in the middle of the afternoon? How could we compete on a world scale if everyone took a nap each day? Interesting how we have become more concerned with competing and less concerned with stress and our personal health. Maybe we would all live longer and have a lot less stress if we took more naps. Perhaps like the turtle versus the hare, a little nap might help us to win the longer races.
When was the last time you took a nap? What was it like? Do you have enough naps in your life? How could you get more naps in your life? What if you took a nap today? What would others think about it?
Is the world divided into napers and non-napers? In some parts of the world, an afternoon nap or siesta time is traditional. In other countries, the work ethic does not permit naps. Naps probably started going out the door with the Industrial Revolution; another casualty of our hectic life in the so called “modern” or civilized world. I have seen some recent articles talking about how healthy it is to take naps. Maybe it is time to start a trend or fad. Here is one way I think we could do it. Nap Parties!
We have alls sorts of parties but has anyone ever invited you over to a “nap party?” When you were a child, you may have gone to a slumber party but only if you were a girl. Men were always too macho for that kind of an activity. That was just for “silly” girls. You might argue that nap parties would not work because as our economies develop and the world gets more competitive, we don’t have time for such foolishness. We need to be more productive and get things done. What would business and industry be like if everyone took naps in the middle of the afternoon? How could we compete on a world scale if everyone took a nap each day? Interesting how we have become more concerned with competing and less concerned with stress and our personal health. Maybe we would all live longer and have a lot less stress if we took more naps. Perhaps like the turtle versus the hare, a little nap might help us to win the longer races.
When was the last time you took a nap? What was it like? Do you have enough naps in your life? How could you get more naps in your life? What if you took a nap today? What would others think about it?
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
What regrets do you have about your life?
What does time have to do with regrets? I once heard someone say that the only thing you will regret when your life is over are those things that you wanted to do but never did. Some of these things may be adventures that were never taken or people you wanted to meet and never did. They may also include apologies you wanted to make or forgiveness you wanted and never gave or received. You may look back on your life someday with no regrets as my friend Harold Johnson did. However, I think it is a rare individual that will live their life with no regrets. Time plays an important role in this process since we often act as though we would have unlimited time to fix things. I will call and apologize tomorrow. I will see them later. I will take that trip next year. What if tomorrow never comes? Who among us knows the time of our death?
If you could take a walk to a cemetery and talk to the people therein, what do you think they would they say about their lives and their regrets? I can imagine how many would say that they regret they never really prioritized their lives according to what really mattered. Mary was struck by a car while on a shopping trip. Paul had a heart attack while watching a soccer game. Israel was sitting at a bar when shot during an attempted hold-up. Sarah had always wanted to have enough money to visit the Holy land but could never seem to save enough for the trip. Jasmine says she would have liked to have spent more time with her son and daughter. Mohamed had not seen his parents in over two years because he was too busy with school and work.
What regrets about your life do you have today? What can you do about them today? Some of them you can do nothing about, but others you can. Like they say in the Serenity Prayer: “Lord, help us to know the difference.” Make a list of regrets you might be able to do something about. Be optimistic. Don’t put this off until tomorrow. Do it today. When you have made this list, choose one to work on for the next week or month. Perhaps this will become a good habit. When you have finished your list, how do you think you will feel?
If you could take a walk to a cemetery and talk to the people therein, what do you think they would they say about their lives and their regrets? I can imagine how many would say that they regret they never really prioritized their lives according to what really mattered. Mary was struck by a car while on a shopping trip. Paul had a heart attack while watching a soccer game. Israel was sitting at a bar when shot during an attempted hold-up. Sarah had always wanted to have enough money to visit the Holy land but could never seem to save enough for the trip. Jasmine says she would have liked to have spent more time with her son and daughter. Mohamed had not seen his parents in over two years because he was too busy with school and work.
What regrets about your life do you have today? What can you do about them today? Some of them you can do nothing about, but others you can. Like they say in the Serenity Prayer: “Lord, help us to know the difference.” Make a list of regrets you might be able to do something about. Be optimistic. Don’t put this off until tomorrow. Do it today. When you have made this list, choose one to work on for the next week or month. Perhaps this will become a good habit. When you have finished your list, how do you think you will feel?
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Are you a time keeper or a time ignorer?
Are you keeping time? Can the world be divided into time keepers and time ignorers? Do those folks who do not wear time pieces simply ignore time, or do they keep time in their own way? I once heard someone say that “you cannot trust a person who does not wear a watch.” Today, many people do not wear a watch. Cell phones, laptops, GPS systems and PDA’s all keep perfectly accurate time. However, are the same folks who would wear a watch now using these devices, and those folks who could not care less about the time, still ignoring it?
Time keepers tend to be worriers and somewhat obsessive. However, they also feel responsible and compelled to live up to their temporal commitments. A time keeper is dedicated to the “keeping” of good time. This means being on time, doing things in a timely manner, being alert to the passing of time and using time wisely. As with all of life, there is a time to keep time and a time to ignore it. Time ignorers use time but are not obsessed with keeping track of time. They also keep their commitments but are less obsessed with the ritual aspects of time keeping and more concerned with the relational. It is not being on time that is important to them so much as being with time. Time ignorers live in the present and may be more concerned with the quality of the time they use. Time pieces can not measure the quality of the time we use only the coming and going of time. The real secret of time may lie in finding a balance between keeping time and ignoring time.
Are you a time keeper or a time ignorer? Do the above descriptions fit you at all? Would you say that sometimes you choose to ignore time and sometimes not ignore it? Have you found the right balance between keeping time and ignoring it? If not, what do you have to do to find a better balance in your life?
Time keepers tend to be worriers and somewhat obsessive. However, they also feel responsible and compelled to live up to their temporal commitments. A time keeper is dedicated to the “keeping” of good time. This means being on time, doing things in a timely manner, being alert to the passing of time and using time wisely. As with all of life, there is a time to keep time and a time to ignore it. Time ignorers use time but are not obsessed with keeping track of time. They also keep their commitments but are less obsessed with the ritual aspects of time keeping and more concerned with the relational. It is not being on time that is important to them so much as being with time. Time ignorers live in the present and may be more concerned with the quality of the time they use. Time pieces can not measure the quality of the time we use only the coming and going of time. The real secret of time may lie in finding a balance between keeping time and ignoring time.
Are you a time keeper or a time ignorer? Do the above descriptions fit you at all? Would you say that sometimes you choose to ignore time and sometimes not ignore it? Have you found the right balance between keeping time and ignoring it? If not, what do you have to do to find a better balance in your life?
Monday, August 2, 2010
Is there any time for justice today?
No time for justice! Some people do not believe that there is any justice in the world. Others believe that justice will always occur but it just takes time. I remember part of a quote that mentions justice grinding like a mill wheel, slowly but inevitably. Many believe that justice will not be found in this world but only in some after life when all accounts are called to order. The Old Testament notes that “Vengeance is mine, sayeth the Lord.” Perhaps, we will not find justice on earth but somewhere between heaven and hell, we will all be judged and sentenced. I have always wondered where Hitler and other mass murderers would end up and what criteria could be used to judge them.
In the USA, the Bill of Rights (Amendment VI) calls for a speedy and impartial public trial for all convicted of a crime. Justice is rendered today and you do not have to wait to have justice meted out. Justice is quick, fair and impartial. Or at least, it is supposed to be. Today the wheels of justice seem to grind much more slowly than envisioned by the American forefathers. Few of us would say that most trials are speedy, never mind impartial. Perhaps if the definition of a “speedy” trial had been defined we might be better able to judge the efficacy of the present US court system. What is speedy to some of us might be slow to others. No doubt we all want justice today for ourselves. Why then does it appear that few citizens are clamoring for trials to be made speedier? Is the right to a speedy trial no longer important? Are we more willing to tolerate delays in all aspects of our lives? Have we extended this to the court system so that we no longer feel that a speedy trial is important?
Maybe we should just rewrite the Bill of Rights to make the amendment more accurate. Perhaps it should read: “You are entitled to a trial, which with lawyers and court delays might take several years before it comes to court. If you can afford a better lawyer, you will have a better chance of winning your case.” What would you think of this change? Do you think trials should be speedy? Do you think it is important to have a speedy, fair and impartial justice system? Do you think most are? How would you feel if you were in the court system? Would you be a satisfied customer?
In the USA, the Bill of Rights (Amendment VI) calls for a speedy and impartial public trial for all convicted of a crime. Justice is rendered today and you do not have to wait to have justice meted out. Justice is quick, fair and impartial. Or at least, it is supposed to be. Today the wheels of justice seem to grind much more slowly than envisioned by the American forefathers. Few of us would say that most trials are speedy, never mind impartial. Perhaps if the definition of a “speedy” trial had been defined we might be better able to judge the efficacy of the present US court system. What is speedy to some of us might be slow to others. No doubt we all want justice today for ourselves. Why then does it appear that few citizens are clamoring for trials to be made speedier? Is the right to a speedy trial no longer important? Are we more willing to tolerate delays in all aspects of our lives? Have we extended this to the court system so that we no longer feel that a speedy trial is important?
Maybe we should just rewrite the Bill of Rights to make the amendment more accurate. Perhaps it should read: “You are entitled to a trial, which with lawyers and court delays might take several years before it comes to court. If you can afford a better lawyer, you will have a better chance of winning your case.” What would you think of this change? Do you think trials should be speedy? Do you think it is important to have a speedy, fair and impartial justice system? Do you think most are? How would you feel if you were in the court system? Would you be a satisfied customer?
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