Someone recently posted a quote on Facebook: “Don’t say you don’t have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michelangelo, Mother Theresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson and Albert Einstein.”
There are so many of these Enlightenment Sound Bites around – and while they may be meant to inspire, they can often set us up to “fail” at yet something else.
I hate to be a party pooper, but simple things like this don’t take into account the complexity of our world today, the multiple places our attention needs to go, the demands of a world that says we are “on call 24/7.”
Thirty years ago, people had a weekend that was respected rather than needing to work seven days a week. They were allowed to take a lunch break without appearing to be a “slacker” who “isn’t serious about their job.” Their boss did not feel that texting or calling them on their honeymoon to handle a work-related problem was appropriate. (Yes, I know someone to whom this happened.) We did not have to deal with social media, web marketing, a cell phone, texting and a dozen other things that either (a) USED to be free but now cost money or (b) we didn’t’ have then and must have now to deal with the world and work.
To those who say they do not have enough time — I empathize. But instead of comparing yourself to famous people and setting yourself up for another “fail,” I compassionately suggest that you look around at those who take your time and give nothing back but negativity, or those who take you for granted and do not enrich your life in any way. Learn to say “no” to them and “yes” to yourself. It is not easy, but it can be done. And then, you WILL have more time. And you will have fought for it and earned it, so treasure it and do something with it that illuminates your life.



