Last week, while waiting for a meeting to start, a colleague said “there just aren’t enough hours in the day.” She was out of breath and clearly under stress. On the other hand, a previous boss of mine – many, many years ago, told me that if, at the end of a day, if you asked yourself “could I have done anything more, or better” and the answer was “no”, then why worry about what you DIDN’T do! It took me many years to really take that advice on board.
What I now realise is that the important “things” that I prioritise are people – hopefully my family first – but apologies when I get THAT wrong! Not that other tasks are not important – but many things can be left. I now find life gives me unexpected “windows” of time to do things I thought would take ages to achieve. I also enjoy having to wait (usually!). If unprepared I will sit/stand and think through things. I will think about the people who are either important to me or who may be needing me to do something. As a Christian I frequently use this time to pray – for the same people just mentioned. I am often asked to pray for someone or someone’s relations. Or if anticipating a wait – at an appointment, for example, I will take a book or my kindle and enjoy the chance to read in peace. People usually apologise for keeping me waiting, but I really don’t mind!
“Wasting time” is such a silly phrase. Are we so important that we think we are indispensable. Sometimes is just sitting around, or having a drink with a friend or friends, reading the newspaper or a book, pottering in the garden, writing a letter/email to friends not as important as other things that we HAVE to do – or think we have to do.
Yes we need to do certain things – but not at the expense of the people we love and others who really do need our time.
