In these times you face, on a daily personal level to a professional level, do you feel as if no one is listening? The days grow shorter as the chores mount up. Each night you lay your head down to sleep and you lay restless, thinking of all the important things you didn’t get to start or couldn’t quite finish. Another week has passed you by and only bits and pieces of the time seemed to amount to anything important. Suddenly, you realize a momentous event in another’s life and you feel guilt, realizing you forgot to call or even send a card. Life has taken control of you and all the simple things: the pleasure of just being has left: somehow, gone on its own vacation leaving you behind. It is in these times you should find the one who matters most---you---and let your voice be heard to none other than yourself.
Your morning started in a rush, so much to get done. You stumbled getting out of bed and cursed as you realized the alarm didn’t go off. Great! Now, you have thirty minutes less time to shower, dress, eat and get out the door. The job comes first, after all, in these hard times you absolutely cannot fall behind at work and risk less money coming into the home you never see, except in a mad rush to leave or fall asleep inside. You dash from morning to evening, struggling to reach the next appointment, to run the next errand or to have your turn in line at a fast food restaurant.
Your day has come to an end and the open arms of the king size bed are waiting for your return. Those silky sheets cover you and mold themselves around you, holding you as you lay your head on those billowy pillows and snuggle down for a good nights sleep.
Your eyes close, your knees are bent and you begin to drift into the peaceful thoughts of rest. Suddenly your eyes open wide, your legs spring straight and sleep, as you knew it has abandoned you. Your mind begins to race, as forty cars circling a track struggling against each other for first place; your mind tries to place your thoughts in status quo order. So what, the dog can eat in the morning! The mail in your box will be there when you wake up! Yes, you did set the alarm for four in the morning!
Friday already and days once again have seemed to slip past without acknowledging themselves. Seems as if yesterday was just Wednesday and you wonder where Thursday hid itself. Monday morning you set out on a week’s journey and two of the days escaped your consciousness. Tuesday and Thursday are merely blurs of attendance. You know they were present, there just seems to be no significance to either in this week’s agenda.
Saturday morning has come as a stranger once again, as you remember the Saturdays of the past were once for leisure and compliance. Now, it comes eagerly, rushing you to get things done and go about it in a hurry! You glance at the date on your computer screen as you are hurriedly paying all those online bills. March 3, stares at you and pulls your thoughts away from your daily tasks. Oh no, Thursday was your mothers’ birthday! The card is definitely not in the mail and you forgot to call. Evil Thursday came and passed you by without any hint of your mother on its way out. One more thing to add to this already busy day. Make that two things added, just a late card would never do, you will, with guilt and shame have to call and admit your blunder. At least an hour will be added to your daily supply of things to get done as you devote one hour to your mom, pleading forgiveness and understanding.
Have you gotten any hint of this message? The voices that will not allow sleep at days end, the absent yet ever remaining days lost during the week, the self-analysis of chores and constant endless tasks’ overtaking your life, means my friend, your life is out of control. The realization that you forgot one of the most important people in your life’s birthday should convince you. Find the time for yourself, listen to yourself, stop everything this very moment and speak. Speak loud, speak strong, speak from your heart and listen to yourself. Do not blame other people or the days of the week or the hours in a day for you missing the truly important things.
The slow Saturdays, the pleasure of picking out the perfect card for your mother, the restful sleep filled nights can be yours again. Listen to the true self inside you and honestly listen to what you have to say. Time will yell at you and criticize you for existing. Time will take away your desires and your peace of mind. Time can also be your best friend if you are the one in control. For your instruction do as I say. Stand up straight, raise your arms in the air, look up, close your eyes and repeat after me. “ I am important, my time is mine to give away or to treasure, I lost myself somewhere along the way, but, today I have found the me I kept passing as I ran through this race in life.” Now, look around and see if anyone is looking at you. If not, you are safe, no one saw you seemingly lose your mind. If someone is watching you, smile, as you turn red faced and walk away, far away, and when you get out of hearing range, laugh your tail off.