As we are well on our way into the New Year, it is natural to self reflect on the past while also beginning to plan for the future. We each have financial goals, family dreams, business dreams and the list goes on. But the real question is, “Are we actively planning our time?” Time can seem so infinite but it also can feel like an inanimate object, completely incapable of controlling or even being able to manage. We are each given the exact same amount of hours in each and every day. Although a lot of that “time” may seem dictated by responsibilities, I would argue much of it is not managed or even considered.
Nothing slows down time quicker than a crisis. As you wait for the company to decide who they are laying off or for the results of the latest scan, times seems to stand still. It is in these chapters of life you wonder what you used to do with your spare time, because in that moment the crisis monopolizes it all. I believe that tragedy can help people redefine what is important and what is simply a time suck.
DeAnna and I are blessed enough to have a lot of opportunities to give back to our community. We each have spent time coaching, giving of our free time to local charities, we help grow our churches and financially support organizations when we aren’t able to give of our of time. We take great pride in supporting the local Rotary’s CrabFest, the Earth Angel’s Foundation, Advocacy Center, youth sports teams, Young Life, Special Olympics and so many more. I am always pleasantly surprised that in this giving I “get” so much more back than I actually contributed. I find myself almost skipping around celebrating the little secret I have all to myself. And I do. But truth be told, it’s a secret I don’t want to keep hidden. A secret I want to share. By managing your time, by giving more than you receive you can find more joy than by keeping a clenched fist.
My hope as we continue on in 2018 is we each decide how we want to spend our precious time. As we reach for the remote, for the phone and/or various forms of social media, I would hope that we would simply ask ourselves “Will this give back to me? Will this feed my soul? Will it impact my community for the better?” If the answer is No…choose something different and then come seek me out. I can’t wait to share in your joy as we give together.
