People don’t often appreciate time as a resource like they do money, oil and gas, timber, food etc. Time is not tangible. You can’t touch it, trade it, or look forward to see what value it will bring you in the future. We constantly complain that we don’t have enough time. The majority of us spend most of our time at work, with a smaller portion dedicated to family and an even smaller portion allotted to ourselves. It is a struggle to live in and value the present moment.
While dealing with the stress of being laid off, I realized that I had not taken any prolonged time away from school or work in 22 years. Since 1995, I have either been at university or working full time, always chasing the next promotion or challenge in my life. I’m now starting to realize the gift that I’ve been given. I now have time to volunteer on my kids school field trips, swim lessons, and playground builds. I’m now able to share small but precious moments with my daughters as we talk on our walks to and from school. I’m exposed to the raw and true emotions of school kids as they beg to go on a play date or break down in tears when they realize that we are walking home and not driving. I’m now listening more attentively to what people are saying and what their true needs are. I may not be feeling so blissful in 6 months when my severance runs out but as I’ve proclaimed above, my time is best spent in the moment and not worrying about the future.
We often look at ways of saving time or making up for lost time. We should be asking ourselves the most important question of all: how to invest our time? It is a gift spend it wisely.
