Three Ways To Add Time into Your Life Right Now!

While shopping and running errands, you’ve probably noticed that time seems to slip by faster than a cheetah on speed. Of course, I have no experience with crack or cheetahs but since wildlife and opium plants might mingle, there could be a weird chance something like that could develop. Somewhere near a leaking power plant or near a nuclear testing site—but I digress. What I want to do is offer a suggestion about making time slow again. Women who have given birth know the drill. They could write this post too because expecting is exactly that—the expectation of a new life with nine months of built in anticipation, anxiousness and of course pain. Unfortunately, I wouldn’t really know that either but I’ve heard great stories from wonderful mothers.
 The rest of us might recall waiting for Christmas or maybe we waited in the rain for a bus and thought it would never show up. Here are three great ways to add some make believe but still valuable, time into your already busy week.

1.     Create a small goal with a surprise at the end.

Pages or Pounds?

With writing, it’s pages, or with dieting it’s pounds. There’s a number involved and they sound similar. 1500 calories or 1500 words a day. Set a goal but make it attainable. At the end of the week if you’ve reached your goals you can reward yourself; but only at the end of the week. Rewards have to be something you don’t indulge in frequently such as a special slice of cake or tickets to a theater. The trick is to look forward to the reward and the week will crawl by like a naked turtle looking for her shell.

2.     Make a date to go somewhere fun

Weekend Trip or Vacation?

You’ve always wanted to go to Universal Studios? Hawaii? Well this might be a great time to plan a trip--something stellar- and rockin’ fun-- such as a New Year cruise or maybe a weekend trip to Vegas? The anticipation will drive you batty because it’s something you’ve

wanted to do for a very long time. Once you book the tickets, it will seem like you’re back in third grade waiting for recess. Time will return to you in spades. The clock will tick louder than usual. It will seem you’ll never get there and it will be so worth it when you do.

3.     Plan a party a month in advance

Be a Guest or Hostess

It’s still almost a month out but planning a New Year Party will be a cinch. It’s not the planning but the space between the minute you start planning and the actual event that seems to create the slowness of time. If you know of a spectacular party you want to attend then make sure you’re on the list. Getting married in the New Year? Congrats but the minutes will seem eternal.  Even being a guest at upcoming nuptials can be exciting. The farther off the event and the more elaborate the gala, the more you’ll see clocks stopping and minutes crawling like slugs into your garden.

The Present of Time

So there you are: My intangible gift to you—a few scattered minutes to cherish and hold until something wonderful happens—and you inhale before you go screaming and laughing through Times Square on New Year’s Eve or exhale cold vapor while riding a roller-coaster at a local amusement park. Before the kisses and hugs, before the spilled champagne and before opening packages under the tree; as this calendar year draws to an end, I want to wish all my family members, friends and followers a wonderful holiday and Happy New Year!

Four Out of Five Doctors Recommend Slowing Down

I remember someone once telling me to slow down. Though I can’t remember much of the conversation and can wax poetic on almost any subject, it’s important to note this happened over thirty years ago. While you might just laugh me off as another pontificating Baby Boomer, I still hope you read the rest of my post. And while I can’t promise to save your life, maybe you’ll get something out of this that can help.  

Back when I was proud of doing more things before ten in the morning than most people did in a week. Back when I zoomed through yellow lights and drove hundreds of miles a day while beating back deadlines in pursuit of the dollar. Back when I had to look great, smell great and carry a briefcase to impress others who were probably not that impressed. Back when I attempted to build a career that came tumbling down when a family member got sick. Back when I tried patching the pain with dinner parties, shopping and travel. Back when funerals made me bury what was left of my heart, putting myself even deeper into work and raising my blood pressure to sky-high proportions. Back when the doctor said, stop immediately or die. (This actually happened twice, with two doctors first in 1996 and again in 2005. They both said the same thing, except one of them said it with an accent.)

Stop. Immediately? Were these doctors insane? I couldn’t just stop. Wouldn’t I naturally slow down from age anyway? But here’s the kicker: What’s old to you and your family is not always old to others and yes, some folks are working their awesome genes right into their nineties. Contributing to society sounds better than waiting for the next shuffleboard tournament and besides, I have definite objectives for my future too. These are adjusted goals with room to breathe and healthy doses of exercise and sun.

We all have bills and family obligations and trust me when I say I’ve spent years trying to slow down. This beautiful summer morning as the sun crept under the shades and the puppies whined about getting their kibble, I listened to the freeway noise and thought about everyone hurrying around like busy little ants. I thought about that horrid feeling when the weight of the world is on your shoulder and instead of stepping aside and letting someone else call a tow truck, you continue to plow along pushing yourself into exhaustion. Sometimes there is no truck; no pulleys, not even trap doors leading to an escape. Brave and daring you hurry along facing the future like a dynamo, a superhero, an iron-man or woman. But today, if you get a chance to smell those flowers or decide on eating something healthier than fast food, remember today won’t come back. Enjoy the day and try to slow down. How many doctors will have to tell you to stop?