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I have found some of the most basic questions are often the most life changing. So many people in this world are walking around miserable, feeling lost and out of control. Whether stuck in a miserable job, a dead-end relationship or a hanging with friends they really don't like. Yes there are always thing we HAVE to do, but in reality when we ask ourselves do we HAVE to do this the list is pretty short. We have to make enough money to cover our expenses, we have to take care of our car (if we want to drive anywhere) we have to take care of our bodies (if we want to keep moving) and we have to pay taxes. (I am sure there are others--but those are the basics) In reality, how you spend your time is largely up to you.
Frequently when I ask clients those 3 questions they stare at me blankly, as if to say, of course I hate my job but I enjoy my time elsewhere. Inevitably when they come back either the next session or 2-3 sessions later, they admit they really don't like how they spend their time and they really had never seriously thought about it. There is a great story about Time:
Imagine there is a bank which credits your account each morning with $86,400. It carries no balance from day to day. Every evening it wipes clean whatever part of the amount you failed to use during the day.
What would you do?
Draw out every cent, of course!
Well, everyone has such a bank. Its name is TIME.Every morning, it credits you with 86,400 seconds. Every night it writes off, as lost, whatever of this you have failed to invest to good purpose.
It carries over no balance.
It allows no overdraft.
Each day it opens a new account for you. Each night it burns the records of the day.
If you fail to use the day's deposits, the loss is yours. There is no going back. There is no drawing against the "tomorrow".
You must live in the present on today's deposits. Invest it so as to get from it the utmost in health, happiness and success! The clock is running. Make the most of today.
The point is we all have choices, we all have control over how we spend our time and with whom we spend it. One of the easiest and best ways to both work and live happier--is to pay attention to how much you enjoy your time? How much of your 86,400 seconds do you spend wishing away, counting down or just, totally miserable? What do you want to add to your life to make it more rich, vibrant, life affirming? Or in practical terms, what do you want to add to your life that will make you a little happier?
Do you want to find a new job, explore a new hobby, take a hike on Saturday afternoon rather then camping in front of the TV, go out with your friends more frequently, try a new restaurant, or make a different recipe? We need to take stock of how we are spending out time, with whom we are spending it and what changes if any we need to make.
Time is valuable, the point of life is to engage in it passionately. To spend our 86,400 seconds in a career that makes our heart sing, relationships that support and up lift us and activities that engage our soul!
What activities do you engage in that'waste' your 86,400 seconds?
What activities do you engage in that feed your soul?
How can you add more of question 2 to your life?
