Friday, July 18, 2014

The Time is Yours

Oregon Coast
Recently I took a trip with some family members.  It was during some time, sitting on the beach as the little ones played in the sand, I had a chance to think about how the time away from the office and home was a gift I had given myself.   As I thought about this, I reflected on the time we each have each day and the opportunities we have to 'use it or lose it'.  So today I want to share some of these thoughts with you. 
You have a gift that is yours.  Each day you are given 24 hours, commonly called a day to start, continue or end whatever you choose.  You receive the same 24 hours that I do, yet neither of us can give it away to each other or to anyone else. You might share your time with another at a given moment when they are open to sharing their time with you,  Time is not something you can hold in your hand, yet it is as valuable Io your life as breath. 
No one can tell you how to use the hours as they tick away. The choices for each hour are yours alone.  The choices you make of how to use the hours are as uncountable as the seconds and minutes of each hour as they combine into a day.  The choices you make, will at times be similar to mine or someone else's and at other times as different as night is from day. The choices you make will seldom be the same as you made the day before or will likely make tomorrow, yet each choice makes a difference.
The time is yours to use wisely or foolishly, although which it is depends on your perspective or belief.  Floating around in a swimming pool may seem foolish on a day you feel there is not enough time to get everything completed you need or because you are simply in avoidance of something you don;t want to deal with.   Yet floating in the pool on another day may be a wise choice in order overcome the stress of a particularly challenging day.
What will you do with this gift today?  Will you spend it alone, doing something you have been wishing to but didn't think you had the time?  Will you spend it with family or friends in work or play together?  Will you complete a special project at work that will bring you recongnition or financial reward?   Will you be thankful for the time you receive or spend it feeling sorry there is not more angry because someone else is not using their gift the way you think they should.
The time is yours.   Use it as you like. May you enjoy the gift of today.  May you look forward to another gift of time tomorrow.