Time & life. Life & time.

This is an idea I've been thinking a lot about.

I was fortunate to have a wonderful long break over December / January - where I could step back and reflect. Not just with my brain, but with my heart as well.

Being able to step away from the minutia of daily routines (kids, work, bills, groceries, birthdays, feeding pets, putting out the garbage, etc) helps us appreciate each moment, rather than trying to fill each moment with more stuff. 

As the days slipped by, I wondered how I ever found the time to do all those daily tasks? 

The difference?

I was enjoying being, not doing.

Hugs on the couch drinking a morning coffee. Lovely walk and lunch. Catching up with relatives. Laughing - playing UNO. Then suddenly dinner has come and gone and this delightful day has simply dissolved. Until tomorrow (which slips away just as fast).

It's somewhat of a paradox. 

We never have enough time
We all have the same time. 

Time is the universal leveler. We have the same hours every day. You can't stretch or shrink it. It's the same for the richest or poorest person in the world. It can only be lived in the moment, and yet we spend so much time and energy dwelling on what happened in the past, or could happen in the future.

The difference is how we perceive it, and live it. 

So this year I'm going to challenge myself on how I use my time in terms of quality (not just quantity), and 

- What is actually productive for me?
- What is genuinely necessary in my day to day?
- What is truly valuable in my life?

I'm being intentional and making more space to be in the moment so there is more being, and less rushing. Letting things unfold, rather than attempting to control. Appreciating what is there - now.

It's easy to say, but hard to do. So I've started meditating, making space in my calendar, and doing small things that bring me joy.

I need to be the one who looks up and appreciates the birds in the trees, the connection with others, and the beauty of today - especially when I'm busy.

After all - it was always there - I just didn't make the space or time.

This year I will. (I'll let you know how I go!)