Time Causes Sacrifice

There are so many things I’d love to do.  I have a great desire to read and study—things like math (I’m horrible at that), science, learn to paint and write calligraphy, astronomy, another language and so much more!  I’d love to learn how to play a musical instrument, to line dance (I know, that’s dating me!), entertain, write a hundred books, ice skate, hike, bake, sew, volunteer, exercise, and on and on! But the truth is I seem to only have enough time in any given day to complete those things I must do and rarely enough time to even do a single thing that I’d love to do!

Now granted a few of those things on that list are part of my daily routine, including writing —which is my passion, a bit of study and reading, as well as, baking and sewing, in fits and spurts.  But why is it, we can’t seem to find time to do all those other ‘outside’ things we’d like to do?  It seems like time works against us!  In fact, it’s easy to personify time, allowing us to blame “it” for all our issues with not getting things done.  We seem to not only blame “time,” we sometimes get “upset” with it, too, even causing us to get frustrated, rant, and attempt to manipulate it!   Time “forces” us to make decisions to complete those things we must accomplish and place on the back burner those things we’d like to do!

Life seems to have other plans for my time!  But if time is causing us to sacrifice those things and activities we value, isn’t time also the culprit in defining who we are or who we could become should we be able to participate in those things we’d like to do?

It’s been said “You make time for the things you’d really like to do.”  I suppose that is true, to a point.  It ultimately comes down to picking and choosing when you have a list, as I do, that is ridiculously long.  A person must prioritize those things that can be accomplished in your life right where you are, with available finances and resources.  It’s also true if we were to sit down and seriously look at the ways we “waste time” during any given day, chances are we’d be surprised at the many ways we spend precious minutes we can never reclaim.

I admit I loved being a student in college.  I love to learn, but there is no way I can realistically accomplish my list unless I have some kind of long term plan that will allow me to at least to some degree tap into all those things I desire to do!  I must reflect and account for how I spend my “free” minutes.  Do I spend unnecessary time in front of the television, playing on face book, or otherwise waste time? Once I answer this question, I need to create a short-term goal list and follow up with a long-term list.  What do I want to accomplish?  What legacy do I want to leave?  Am I doing all I can to make time work for me rather than allowing time to cause me to sacrifice those things and activities I value? Am I pursuing my passion, which is time spent on something I enjoy and yet doing something good for someone else?

There’s another side to ‘sacrifice and time’, however. I am often in awe of the teacher who spends hours with children who have disabilities. This amazing person, gives of their time without seeming immediate results in their students. Their ‘time’ is sacrificed to help others. Isn’t this also true for our First Responders who put their lives on the line for each of us? While it’s a profession, it’s also who they are. It is their passion to use their ‘time and talents’ for the good of others. Isn’t that the greatest reward?

Reflect for a moment on the same questions I am considering.  Share your thoughts on how you manage time so you can do all (or even most!) of the activities you consider important in your life! Is your ‘time’ spent on doing those things you love but also doing something for others?

#TimeAndTalents #SacrificeForOthers #SpecialEducationTeachersRock #FirstRespondersAreHeroes #ManagingTime

Photo Credit: https://www.google.com/search?q=time+sacrifice+and+disability+quotes

Previous
Previous

Our Very Fragile Lives

Next
Next

Life In Water Color