In Search of...the time to get it all done

I love writing this blog. I seldom know what the subject matter will be when I sit down to write it...except for Sundays, which have morphed into "politics day" because that's the day This Week with George Stephanopoulos is on TV, and attention must be paid. But it takes up time, and some days it takes a lot of time...which got me thinking about how to find the time to get it all done.

In truth, we can't really find the time to get everything done, especially not in our fast-paced society. Something's gotta give, but what should it be? (Personally, I'm opting to relinquish the house cleaning, so I'll need a few hours notice if you plan on visiting.)

I don't think we ever really stop and think about the consistent choices we make about our lives until we or someone we love is sick or passes away. That's the moment we wonder about all the "busy work" that consumes our day to day existence. And even if the busy work took up most of our time, the least we could do is be aware that those are the choices we're making, so we can appreciate even the mundane, because someday, even that too will end.

We like to think that we've got forever, that mortality doesn't apply to us or those we care about, but it's simply not true. So what, if these were our last moments on earth, would we make the time for? I'm going to go out on a limb and say first and foremost that we would say "I love you" to those we cherish. We would go visit that sick aunt who used to sneak us candy when our parents weren't around, or look at the faces of our children and appreciate that their childhood will go by in the blink of an eye and we'll wish we could have this time back. We would do the thing we always wanted to but put off, thinking that there's plenty of time for that later.

So amidst our jobs, whatever they may be, and the groceries, and the pursuit of success (whatever we deem that to be), or merely survival, let's take a minute and choose consciously what is important and what needs to go. What would we do if there wasn't the time to get it all done? What would enrich our souls, and what is truly insignificant? What would contribute to the world? What do we take for granted that needs the simple act of acknowledgement? Why don't we become present in our own lives and pay attention to every moment of every day, if for no other reason than to be grateful for it.

To quote the author K.T. Mince, "You are what you do when it counts," and I think every moment counts because there isn't the time to get it all done. So let's choose wisely, and love boldly, and live courageously.

Thanks for taking this time out of your day and choosing to spend it with me.