If I asked you to name some precious commodities, what would your answer be? Gold? Silver? Platinum? Would you think of jewels like diamonds or emeralds? How about money? Some might even say the almighty dollar. Would you agree with them? Which is the most precious? Would your answer be one of those?
Not mine. Anyone of those is a renewable resource which can be gained and also replaced if lost or stolen. For me, the most precious is non-renewable. It's one that we all have in a limited quantity and once it's gone, it's gone. I'm referring to time.
Think about it. Isn't time the most precious commodity? Although there are hundreds of books written about it - especially how to manage it - time is usually taken for granted. Many of us live our lives as though we have an unlimited supply. That's the real issue!
We begin our day with a blaring alarm clock signaling the start of the rat race. We scurry to get ourselves ready, out the door, into our commute-mobiles and hurry off to work. There, minute by minute, hour by hour, we go through our day doing our appointed tasks until we are free to return home. Perhaps the evening is spent in usual fashion, in front of the TV, until it's time for bed. Next morning, it starts all over again.
Get up, go to work, come home, go to bed.
Get up, go to work, come home, go to bed.
Get up, go to work, come home, go to bed.
Back and forth, back and forth.... Sound familiar?
If this is how you spend your time day in and day out, you will soon realize that you have fallen into a rut. You know what a rut is, don't you? It's a grave with the ends knocked out.
You have fallen into a routine - sure you're busy - but you're busy dying and you'll die in that rut unless things change. So here's the question: Do you want things to change? Because if you want things to change, things have to change. Only you can do that; it depends on how much you want it to.
Changing is painful for some and if their current situation isn't MORE painful, then they aren't motivated enough to do something about it. What about you? How badly do you want your situation to change? How are you going to do this when you're so busy? Busy dying, right? You need to change how you think; you need to get busy being born. Birth yourself into doing the things you really want to do to live a life of fulfillment and the achievement of your goals.
This may require a 180 degree turn in your thinking. You may need to make a paradigm shift. Start valuing your time in terms of money. Think about the difference between spending money and investing money. Now think about the difference between spending time and investing time. What would you do differently?
Spending time is not expecting any real results or outcomes. Such as spending a lazy day in front of the TV enjoying a ball game. Not that there's anything wrong with that as long as you don't expect results!
However, investing time may be taking time to watch some informational TV show where you will learn something that you can put to use and reap a benefit. The return on your investment may be financial, personal growth, or stress reduction. See the difference?
Time really is a limited quantity. A non-renewable resource. Yesterday is gone. Did you spend its time or invest it? Which are you doing today? Why not invest it so tomorrow you can reap a return?
Reap a life of fulfillment and the achievement of your goals. A life of NO REGRETS! Stop spending your time. Stop being busy dying. Start investing your time. Start being busy birthing a return so that when your time is up, you'll have lived a life of NO REGRETS!
In my last days as I stand before my dresser, gazing at myself in the mirror, I'll see contentment and the satisfaction of having lived a full life. When I say:
Mirror, mirror on the wall
Who has the most regrets of all?
I'll know without a shadow of a doubt that it won't be me. Don't let it be you!
Merri Macartney - Speaker, Author
LIVE LAUGH LEARN Programs
www.merrimaccommunications.com
merri@merrimaccommunications.com
Phone: 1.519.396.3476 Fax: 1.866.864.7982
116 Jeater Street
Kincardine, Ontario
Canada N2Z 2X3
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