Today’s Thought: Life moments are your treasure, the one true asset you possess. Failing to actively choose how we engage with life and where we spend our moments leaves us open to thieves of every kind, who are just waiting to steal them away..
If we leave the space, life will flow in and fill our days with endless little emergencies and so-called dramas. Watch out, or one day you will wake up to a near empty treasure chest, and all you’ll have to show for it will be a random string of disconnected moments. Or you can shape the story of your life by paying attention, and doing things with intention. Sure you need to be flexible and adapt to what life serves up, however, do it selectively. Question the distractions and detractions, and who and what you spend life moments on.
Live openly but be proactive. Be aware that the world is filled with temptations designed to steal moments from you, right up until your last breath. Advertisements, activities, and adornments will beg for your attention. How many life moments are you willing to trade for such things? What purchases are genuinely worth emptying your chest over? I bet no where near as many as you once were, after you begin looking at things from this perspective.
Life collects a toll in the guise of genuine drama demanding our investment, so consider carefully before spending much on the manifested drama some may try to sell you on. If drama queens inhabit (and inhibit!) your life, you may want to consider whether the high cost in life moments earns enough dividends to justify the show. Make sure their drama isn’t putting you at risk of turning your life story into a what-could-have-been kind of tragedy.
Passive entertainment also teases life moments away from you. Of late folks are asking if the dollars they invested in Facebook will be justified. I challenge, that a far more important question for most is: Forget dollars, will the life hours most have invested in Facebook be justified at life’s end? Is there a genuine return on such an investment? Would relationships in the real world be more genuine, more fulfilling? Is social networking simply providing the illusion of connectedness, when face time with loved ones or even new friends would yield higher returns?
There may well be a place for social networking, television, and even high drama friends in your world. Only you can determine their value to you – this is your story, only you can decide what fits you. I acknowledge that down time can sometimes propel us ahead in many respects. However, I encourage you to practice selectivity. Recognize where you’re spending your life moments, and ensure you aren’t experiencing any leaks you may regret later.
Protect your life moments from time thieves aching to steal them away from you, instant by instant.
For Today: Document how you spend your time. There are great tools you can use, as well, such as the free online tool Rescue Time, which will track how you are spending your time. Once you’ve tracked your expenditures, consider how you feel about the investments you are making. Are you spending your moments in ways that will create the story you want to leave behind you? If not, make changes accordingly. This is not a dress rehearsal.