Time's A Wastin'

The start of a new year is a perfect opportunity to begin the weeding process. I'm not talking about weeding the garden. That will come soon enough! January is the perfect time to begin weeding out the things, habits, thoughts and even people that gobble up our minutes, hours and days.. leaving us to wonder... "Where did the time go?"

What, or who, steals your time? Better question, to what or whom do you willingly give up your time? Here are a few time-wasters you can hit with the weed-eater:

Gossip. My favorite quote, attributed to Eleanor Roosevelt: "Great people talk about ideas. Average people talk about places and things. Little people talk about other people." And... gossip wastes a lot of time. Talk about what's important in life. Your faith. Your family. Your goals. Literature. Art. Science. The future. Just DON'T waste time talking about other people.

Jealousy. Coveting something, or someone, that someone else has... eats up your time...and eats away at your spirit. This is time that is better spent working on ways to find your own something, or your own someone, who makes you happy.

Unpleasant people. They are out there. We all know them. We can't avoid them. But we can control our reactions to them. Refuse to take their bait. Walk away. Be so nice that THEY walk away. Just don't let them dirty up your mind and your day and rob you of your time.

The Internet! Don't get me wrong. It's a wonderful thing. But, you need to use the internet. Don't let the internet use you. Do the important things first... then surf the net. P.S. Reading my blog is NOT a waste of time! :)

Television. See the above reference to the internet. It holds true here. Hey... I've watched The Young and The Restless since I was a teenager. I just don't watch it every day.  Limit your TV watching. And for goodness sake, when a friend or family member is in the room... TURN OFF THE TV. Talking to them is much more important than watching Aunt Bee make yucky pickles for the 978th time on a re-run of The Andy Griffith Show.

These are just five ways to reduce the wasting of time. I wrote them to get you started thinking about what, or who, pilfers your time each day. Take control of the time-clock of your life. Remember... time's a wastin'.

Time Stood Still

As we launch into a brand new year, this month's blog theme is "Time."

Time something you think more about as you get older. It is something we should think more about when we are younger. We all know that "Time marches on." But sometimes, in the most precious, or scary, or breathtaking moments.... 

Time. Stands. Still. 

In my life, Time stood still when...

A boy held my hand for the very first time. (His name was Duane. We were 6.)

My grandmother said, "Drexel, WHAT was that noise?" (Trust me. You don't want to know.)

I rode my bicycle without training wheels.

I won the school spelling bee. (No, I don't remember the word.)

I had my first kiss!

I got my first pair of glasses. And, I could SEE!

I spun the bottle.. and it landed on "HIM!"

I heard the words, at the very social age of 13, "We're  moving. To Florida." (from Texas. That's a long way.)

I had my first car wreck.

He shook my hand and said, "Hi. I'm Jimmy Buffett." (And, he was.)

I picked up the phone and heard, "Your grandmother died today."

The doctor said, "We need to do a biopsy."

The doctor said, "It's benign."

I heard, "It's a girl!" 

I was told, "We need an amniocentesis. There may be a problem."

I was told, "Results are in. No problem!

I heard,"It's a girl!" (2nd time!)

I picked up the phone and heard, "Drexel. Don't panic. Avery's been hurt. Meet us at the emergency room. Don't panic." (I panicked.)

I came home and found a note on the counter that read: "Don't panic. Lauren's been bitten by the dog. Meet us at the e.r. Don't panic." (I panicked..)

I heard, "Hello. I'm Laura Bush." (She was.)

I heard, "You're hired!"

I heard, "You're fired."

A friend said, "It's going to be okay."

Time marches on. 

But it also stands still. In moments, situations, and circumstances that we never forget.

When has time stood still for you? I'd love to hear your stories.

2013: It's Time

“If I could save time in a bottle

The first thing that I’d like to do

Is to save every day ‘til Eternity passes away

Just to spend them with you.”*

I first heard those words, from the song “Time In A Bottle” by the late Jim Croce, when I was just a teenager. You know. When Time seems to GO ON FOREVER.

Whether I was waiting for my birthday; waiting for summer vacation; waiting for Christmas; or waiting for my mom to “Please. Get. Off. The. Phone.”… so that cute guy from school could call, I was constantly trying to rush the clock- force the calendar- move the day.

Time was this surplus of space that just got in the way of what I wanted to do.

Now, I get it. Time is not the enemy. Time is our friend. Time is the friend that provides us with the necessary pauses in our otherwise full-tilt lifestyle that robs us of… well, robs us of Time. I understand at 54 what I wish I’d understood at 34.. or even 24. 

Time does not GO ON FOREVER.  Instead of hurrying the hours, we should savor them, embrace them…. and live them fully, completely and passionately.

Today marks the beginning of a new Time. 

It’s the very first day of the year 2013. You've probably already bought your new calendar or planner. You've probably already begun to fill in the blank spaces with important appointments, tasks and duties. You may be shaking your head as you do this, saying to yourself, “I just don’t have ENOUGH time!”

Jim Croce wrote and sang about that too, in these words from “Time In A Bottle”:

 “But, there never seems to be enough time

To do the things you want to do

Once you find them.”*

H. Jackson Brown, author of “Life’s Little Instruction Book” might disagree.   I recently read this quote by Brown:  

“Don’t say you don’t have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michelangelo,. Mother Teresa, Leonardo Da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson and Albert Einstein.”

The question is… what are you going to DO with that Time?

This year, my challenge to you is this: strive to not only become better at scheduling your Time. Become better at the way you are spending your Time.

Don’t save Time in a bottle. Pour it out. Drink it up.  Don’t rush the minutes and the hours of your Time. Don’t curse the passing of Time. Don’t take for granted the gift of your Time.

Photo © 2013
Drexel Gilbert Enterprises, Inc.

Instead, take Time.

Take Time to:

• take a breath
• grab someone’s hand
• go for a walk
• watch a sunrise
• cultivate a friendship
• learn a new language
• take up a hobby
• volunteer at a shelter
• rock a baby
• visit a shut-in
• laugh
• love
• live

It’s Time.

Postscript: Jim Croce never knew that his song “Time In A Bottle” became a hit. He died in a plane crash eight days after the song was featured in a made-for-TV movie, which sent it all skyrocketing the way to number one on the charts.. way back in 1973.  Although it sounds like a song that would have been written to or about a lover, Croce actually wrote “Time In A Bottle” for his unborn child, shortly after his wife told him she was pregnant. If you've never heard the song, take the TIME to listen to it here: Time In A Bottle-Jim Croce

If you have heard it…. Listen to it again. It will be Time well spent

*Copyright 1972 R2M Music