“How are you?â€
“BUSY!!!â€
That seems to be the standard answer these days. At a time of instant everything – emails, text, twitter, facebook, instagram, and a whole bunch more – we have all become so overwhelmed and we struggle just to keep up. We are busier now than ever before.
So when I decided to spend the day with my big brother, my first thought was:
YIKES!!! I don’t know if I can do this. I just don’t have the time.
And that’s when I remembered the saying that goes something like this – no one ever goes to their grave wishing they had spent more time at work.
It’s so easy to say, but so, so hard to live by.
Many years ago when my mother was still alive, I would visit her weekly.  But every time I entered her room, the first thing out of my mouth was to tell her when I had to leave:
“Mom, I have to leave by noon to meet with a clientâ€.
“Mom, I have to leave by 4:00 to avoid the rush hour trafficâ€.
Even though we were chatting and laughing and enjoying our time together, I always kept one eye on the clock.
Well, you know what? My mom is gone now and I can never visit her again. And the sad thing is – I can’t even remember who that client was or what was so important that I couldn’t stay just a little longer with my mom.
So today, as I drive to the southwest suburbs of Chicago to visit my brother, I decide not to repeat the same mistake. Today I take a deep breath, shut off my computer, and decide not to look at the clock, or even my phone– not even once. Today I will enjoy the time we have together, creating laughter and memories that will last me until the end of my time.
I don’t have any words of wisdom for you, and I don’t have any secrets to share. Just an acknowledgment that it is hard to carve out the time for everything we need to do - it is a conscience decision. You just have to decide what is important to you – and you will find you own way.
Categories: Personal Development Positive Thinking Professional Development
Tags: Busy Lifestyle, Family, Overwhelmed, Take Time
