Time: Take More of It for Yourself

Count to ten. No, not that fast. Here, let me help you, close your eyes, take a deep breath and, as you exhale—slowly—count 1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10.

In completing that exercise, you took time to stop and focus on yourself—and you did it without much effort I bet.

Even though that moment took little effort to complete, the reality is most of us can't find enough of these moments to constitute a feeling of contentment. Our days are filled to the brim with the things we need, want, and have to do—our schedules overrun with both what we can and, probably, shouldn't carry.

Here's a bit of science for you to consider: A minute is comprised of 60 seconds and, over the course of our 16 waking hours, we watch 960 (on average) of those minutes float away in all the things we need to get done. Understanding that, how is it that most of us can't take even a few of those 960 minutes for ourselves?

Of course, suggesting that you make time where there is none is like waiting for pigs to fly, so here's a plan that even the most time-strained individual should be able to follow: find five minutes within every hour that is just for you—trust me when I say those five minutes are there for the taking—and use them to declutter your mind, focus on positive energy, and take in the moment—no matter what is going on within it—so that you can remember what it's like to be "present" as a sentient being. 

Sure, the time might be more purposeful if it's spent in a candle-lit room, filled with soothing music, but by no means is that the only way to find perfect peace. You can learn to quiet your mind even when it's embedded within the world's chaos and step one is remembering that you have the power to quiet your mind and refocus your energy.

A trick I've used is to tell myself that the more chaotic things are, the calmer I should become. My brain, my consciousness, my psyche, my spirit—whatever you wish to call it—is programmed to use chaos as a trigger for peace within my body.

That said, you have to find what works for you.

90 minutes is what you should be able to give yourself. If that sounds like a lot, it isn't—it's only 15 percent of your average day—and believe me when I say you are worth that and then some.

Related articles

• Time moves on.......cherish the Moments (personalpower4me.wordpress.com)
• What is Quality Time? (kleenexmums.com.au)
• Fill each moment with value (mathilic.wordpress.com)

Are You "Set" In Your Ways?

People describe individuals who aren't open to change, or new ideas, as "set" in their way—don't bother engaging those types of people in a conversation meant to evoke an intelligent, productive, debate—you're  wasting your time.

As easy a write-off as that explanation might be, I don't buy it. Despite what you have been told,  no one is set in their way. Some people are simply more resistant to change than others because they fear the unknown and we are all, to some degree, guilty of that.

Over a period of time we become comfortable with the knowledge we have acquired and we don't look kindly upon people who challenge us on those notions. Our knowledge, derived from years of personal experience, forms the foundation of our paradigms and when those paradigms are challenged, the natural instinct for many of us is to fight back and reject the new. And, we extend those rejections not because we are unwilling to accept that they might be right, but rather because we cannot deal with the possibility that we might be wrong.

It's as much about ego as it is about principle. 

However, none of us can become better versions of ourselves if we choose to remain ignorant to the changes and the people that dwell among us. You must be willing to accept the possibility that what you know isn't absolute, and you must remain open to more than just what you've come to know if you ever expect to learn anything else of substance. 

Understand this: As a reasonable, intelligent, and sentient human being, you always have the capacity to evolve—both in mind and in body—that journey is endless. To disrespect that journey, by never giving yourself the chance to accept or understand the unfamiliar, is to lay waste to all the possibilities that life has to offer.

Do not allow yourself to be stifled by a stubborn resistance to change. Trust that you are worth more than that, and allow yourself to become better than even you could have ever imagined.

Day 18: There Are No Shortcuts...

Have you ever awoken on a particularly hectic day and thought to yourself, "can I just skip to the end"?

Although it seems like a nice thought, the problem with actually doing so is  you have no idea what you'll miss if you do.

Unfortunately, many of us live in a vacuum filled with the stress and expectations placed in our path by those who employ, love, and befriend us.  We don't want to hear the alarm clock go off in the morning because we know nothing but more stress, more fatigue, and more disappointment is likely all we'll get.

It's an existence that becomes tough to deal with, and many of us have to  develop mechanisms to get through the tough times.

So, we tell ourselves it's only a five-day week and we start living for the weekend.  Or, we party with friends and hope the camaraderie will provide a temporary escape. Better still, we immerse ourselves in the web—tweeting, facebook-ing, blogging, or browsing the myriad of sites cyber-world has to offer.

The cycle isn't vicious, but it's indicative of the world we live in today. We are all looking for the easiest way to appease the restless beast within us that feels trapped by the monotony of doing the same ol' thing everyday.

That said, it's high time that all of us, who are stuck in that rut, start re-evaluating our direction.

Don't continue to fall back on the same patent excuses that have come to be a staple of our explanatory repertoires—not enough time, not enough money, or not enough resources—but, rather, start looking at what opportunities you can make happen for yourself.

What can Y-O-U do to make your life better?

Because, the sooner you start believing and understanding that there is more to this life for you than a routine you'd just as soon chuck than adhere to, the more fulfilling your days and nights will become.