A few weeks ago a person at work said to me "You must have a lot of time on your hands" I know the person is not a fan of mine and I took the offhand remark as a subtle dig. It definitely made me think.
Do I have too much time on my hands? I know I do a little extra sometimes but is that bad? I don't have any extra time on my hands or spare time for that matter. Would you like to know why? Because I choose to fill my time. Whether working, volunteering, meditating, writing, reading or any myriad of things I know the value of time.
I know time is one of the only things that none of us knows how much of it we have and once it's gone you cannot get it back.
Want to make an enemy? Waste my time and it will be a given. We hear so many different metaphors for what time is . Perhaps you have heard the expressions time is money, time can heal all things, if something good happens you might say- It's about time, certain people are ahead of their time, when things are important time is of the essence, some things happen just in the nick of time, we can be in a race against time, sometimes we are simply killing time and we become incredulous when we realize just how quickly that time flies.
I sat down recently and thought about the last 3 years since my husband died and what I have accomplished. I went back to school and completed an English degree that I started 34 years ago before I had kids. Imagine being a 50 something woman in classes with 20 year old's and having to take a math class when I was never good at math in the first place!! Those two semesters were some of the most challenging and rewarding times of my life. It taught me the value of finishing what you start and always striving to better yourself no matter how old you are. Definitely NOT a waste of time.
I ran an 8 room bed and breakfast in Gettysburg. for 18 months. I cooked and cleaned and did laundry. I created an atmosphere where everyone was welcome and made to feel at home. The Inn earned the tag line "Gettysburg's Most Welcoming Inn" and the owners referred to me as the face of the business. I earned record tips and made so many wonderful friends and acquaintances. It was one of the best experiences in my life. I don't think their is any greater joy than taking care of other people, at least to me. Definitely NOT a waste of time.
I wrote two books, a cookbook "Cooking The Annette Way - With Heart, Humor and Hospitality "and a book about grief "530 Days From Diagnosis to Death and What I Learned Along The Way" and I ran a successful blog entitled "The Eyes Have it". Definitely NOT a waste of time and very therapeutic. If we know each other and I take the time to write to you then you know you are important to me.
I went back to church and embraced God in a way I had not done in years and it's made ALL the difference in my life. Definitely NOT a waste of time.
I became a Notary and started doing Tag and Title work. I didn't wake up one morning saying "Gee I'd sure love to title a car today" The opportunity presented itself and I took the leap. Definitely NOT a waste of time.
I moved and got rid of a lot of "things" that no longer suited me. I began to embrace the value of experience's over things. I've learned to be grateful every day for what I have. The last 3 years have made me a better ME. Definitely NOT a waste of time.
It's ok to have some "down" time sometimes BUT an idle mind can lead to problems. Find worthwhile things to fill your time. It's worth it- I promise!!
