All In Good Time

Wow, I've been in the Pacific Northwest now for over a month and it feels like time is flying! Isn't it interesting how many catch phrases we have around time?? This week's Pleasure Point asked, "What do you do with time?", and it got me thinking ...

Mahatma Gandhi is credited with saying, "Live as if you were to die tomorrow". At first look, it seems like a rather dark comment, however, I think he was trying to tell us to "treasure every moment you have and live to the fullest". In other words, "savor your time".

We've all heard the phrase, "just killing time". What exactly does that mean? Well, it's about frittering an hour or so, often while waiting for the next thing. It implies that right now isn't as important as whatever is happening later. We usually "spend time" doing something that is completely forgettable. I'm not suggesting that every single moment has to be, well, momentous, but are we more often ignoring or missing something that might be available to us in the present? Have we become accustomed to looking forward at the expense of what is in front of us?

I often keep a couple of magazines or a book in my car. If I find myself looking for

something to do to "pass the time", say in between appointments or something, I have some interesting reading. I don't have to be doing something, though. I could simply be sitting in appreciation of having the luxury of some quiet moments to myself. I might remind myself of some affirmations that keep me connected to my soul. To me, when we "waste time", we're not even aware of our very own presence. When this happens, we drift, perhaps overeat, buy something we don't need or numb out in some way. This isn't just killing time, it's murdering it. I suggest we play with "taking our own sweet time", smelling the roses, and mindfully languishing for a bit.

I like the term "time sensitive". I feel like that describes me and really, all of us. We all have an expiration date -- it's just unknown to us for now. Maybe if we focus on having the "time of our life", we'll truly cherish more minutes, hours, days, and weeks.

It's time to retire the Pleasure Point! Don't worry, I'll still appear in your email or on FB or wherever you catch up with me. And, I'll always be a champion for Pleasure in our lives. I'll be sending out an announcement to everyone on the list (www.BarbaraLCummings.com) on Sunday and there will be something new next Monday!