time

Buy Your Time

Backstory

“Overwhelmed” is how parents with careers have described their days during the pandemic. A constant dual between family and work. Kids can get caught in the middle. This little guy had a solution.

Buy Your Time

A man came home from work late. He was tired and irritated and was actually hoping that his 5-year-old son was already in bed. Instead, there was the child excited to see his weary dad and full of questions.

“Daddy,” he asked, “how much do you make an hour?” Well, dad had no idea of where the conversation would lead. “If you must know, I make $50 an hour”. “Oh,” the little boy said, disappointed. “Could I borrow $25?”. Well, the father was just too tired to continue the conversation. But later, he went into the child’s bedroom to tuck his son in for the night.

“Here’s the money you wanted to borrow son. What’s it for?” “If I add it to what I saved up,” the little boy explained, “I’ll have $50. Now I can buy an hour of your time.” His dad looked dumbfounded. His son continued, “I’d like to have dinner with you Dad. Show you how good I throw a ball now and ride my bike really fast. I know you have to earn money for us, but I could give you the money if you could give me your time.” So easy for us to work so hard that time slips through our fingers. Be sure to share your valuable time with those who count.

P.S. How do you spend time with your kids? It doesn’t count if he is playing his video game over there and you are playing yours over here! Time that counts is time spent in the present when you’re listening and she is too. Not easy. Start out by lifting your eyes off the phone, looking each other in the face, and smiling. Does wonders.

This Day Shall Never Come Again

Back Story

“Today is only one day in all the days that will ever be. But what will happen in all the other days that ever come can depend on what you do today. It’s been that way all this year. It’s been that way so many times.” ― Ernest Hemingway

This Day Shall Never Come Again

Today is the first day of the rest of your life. You will never see this day again.

Surely you’ve heard that phrase before. But I wanted to repeat it for you today because it applies to this very day. This very hour.

How can you make your next 24 hours worthwhile? You could take the time to think big thoughts. You could take care of yourself. You could do something special for someone else. Nothing big, but something.

You’ll probably have a busy day – work…kids…errands…household chores. But amidst it all, take time for yourself. Take time to stop and be still…Allow yourself to drift. Give your subconscious a chance to percolate.

You will be amazed at the solutions…ideas…plans that will come your way, just by sitting for a while quietly, alone, allowing your spirit to take over. You may find you’re more clever than you thought.

My prayer for you on this special day is that you be protected at all times. May you be safe and be surrounded by people who love you – whether you know it or not. Take this wondrous day and make it your own. Make it count. That’s really all that can be expected of you.

P.S. All those individual days strung together equal a lifetime. Hemingway was right! The major twists and turns of that life were directed by what you chose and what you did – in just one single day along the way.

[Show #375]

Life on Fast Forward

Whoa! Just like that, another season has rushed by. Where did it go? Who put our world on fast forward?

Everywhere you turn, someone is marveling at how quickly the time goes by. You wake up and barely get going, when it’s lunchtime and the afternoon is here. Blink and the day is over. There is even a magazine called Fast Forward.

What is this new warp speed getting us? No doubt, we are accomplishing more . . . producing more . . . adding more to our pocketbook. But if we’re not . . . does it make any sense for time to move this fast? We don’t seem to have the ability to slow it down, so I guess we’ll just go with it.

Just be sure that your fast day includes kind words . . . gestures of love . . . hugs and smiles. Even if you have to give them as you dash past in your virtual running shoes. And when you go to measure how you made the world a better place today, don’t put the tape around your middle . . . or your pocketbook.

Put it around your heart. If it’s full and you’ve had laughter and joy today, if you have shared with someone and made them feel good, you’re doing just fine in your fast forward world.

[Show #323]

Making Time

An email arrived from a friend. It was an unusually long one. I realized immediately that my friend was getting something off her chest. So I printed out the message and curled up in an easy chair to see what was on her mind.

Seems she had just lost a close friend – suddenly, unexpectedly. He was someone she planned to spend more time with. She talked about how she intended to invite him and his family over for Thanksgiving, but time got away from her. She surely expected to see him during the Christmas holidays, but that didn’t happen. The following year had gone by so quickly and there was so much happening in her life . . . Well, you get the picture.

He was the friend she intended to keep up with but did not. And now the pain in her message was sharp. She felt she had failed him. And now there were no more chances to make up.

It’s so easy to get carried away with minutia each day. It is so tempting to have your day’s priorities include the business of living, but not the business of loving. Don’t let it happen to you.

If you make a to do list for each day, add an item reminding you to call a friend, or send an email. Reach out to them on Facebook or invite them to lunch. It will be worth it.

[Show #344]