Some call it work-life balance. Others simply call it priorities.
Whatever your term, there are fundamental moments we should grab as our own.
What do you make time for?
- What makes you smile?
- What do you miss when you don’t have it?
- What defines your happiness?
Here are my Top Five.
#1 – Family
If i would try to ignore my family, it wouldn’t last long.
- I am a middle child of seven
- I have 14 cousins
- 16 nieces and nephews
- 21 grand-nieces and nephew
And that’s just the initial layers. I count friends as family, too.
As crazy as life may get, I always make time for family.
#2 – Faith
I remember when I was in my 20s and 30s and surprised more than one friend when they dicovered I was a regular church-goer.
I’ve never been one that feels the need to preach (pun intended) about my faith.
- I’d rather live it
- Not as easy as it sounds
Faith can be structural, spiritual or simply what resides in your heart. We all need faith in something or someone, even if that’s the beauty of our own soul.
#3 – Laughter
There are those who wish I paid a little less attention to this need.
- I often find humor where I shouldn’t
- Or embrace sarcasm a tad too much
But, even in the worst of times, I’m thankful I’ve always been able to laugh.
“A good laugh heals a lot of hurts.” ~ Author, Madeleine L’Engle
#4 – Walking
Believe me, it wasn’t always the case where I found time for walking.
It’s one more thing I can thank the 3-Day Walk for.
Walking has many blessings worth making time for.
- It keeps me healthy
- It keeps me sane
- It connects me with nature
As much as you may have seen in life, there is always more to see. Take a walk and find something new.
#5 – Thanksgiving
No, not the holiday. Although you can be darn sure I’m right there at dinner time.
I take time (or try to) for counting my blessings, which there are many.
Try this. Each day, as you shut down your computer or close your door on the end of they day, think about one thing that happened that you are thankful for.
Then whisper, thank you.
And close your eyes with a smile.
What do you make time for?
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Live…Laugh…Love
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lol, I read your headline as if you were asking me why I manufactured time… which I guess in a way we do, or not.
I make time for reading. I’m trying to get my family to make more time for me… I make time for friends. And now for exercise, and meditation… and for writing… 😉
Anne, if you can manufacture time, bottle it and sell it! 😀
Slap to the head. How could I forget reading? It’s so second-nature, I guess I forgot. I’ll have to expand this to a Top 10. 🙂
I make time for family and friends, for exercise (mostly) and for reading.
Sharon: Seems you, Anne, and I make time for the same things. How surprising. 😉
Yes, Cathy. I make time for gratitude, laughter and spirituality too – and writing, of course. What were we saying the other day about triplets? 😉
Identical, no less 😀
Gratitude, Laughter – both are needed and should be embraced. I too, Cathy, love to embrace sarcasm. #1 is my family as well. It’s the reason I do what I do – I wouldn’t spend my time any other way. Our families are the core of being and for many we are here because of their support. Being grateful for their love and being able to have them around is one of many reason I give thanks each day. We have to laugh at ourselves and be able to roll with the punches we face. I appreciate this post very much, very needed to read today. Cheers!
Thanks, Jen. We are totally in alignment on this one. 🙂 I, too, am very grateful for my blessings. Thanks for stopping by and sharing a few of your own.
Those are excellent things to make time for. I’m sure you’re a very happy woman. 🙂 I try to make time for my husband, although I am working a lot on my blog lately.
Hi Alicia-LOL 😀 There seems to be a lot of that going around. More and more couples use social media just to stay in touch. 🙂
Thanks for taking time away from you blog to stop by. 😉
Priorities. You gotta have ’em! I always start my day with meditation/prayer and 3 pages of stream-of-consciousness writing. Without that time for myself, all the other things would suffer, including relationships. Great post as usual!
Sounds like a great way to start the day, Martha! A good lesson to take care of yourself first. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Cathy,
Just recently I stopped saying ‘I don’t have time for this or that.’ Now I say, ‘It’s not a priority,’ meaning I’m not doing that because it is not important to me, because I believe we have time for the the things that are important.
It’s just a different perspective. And it is closer to the truth for me.
I know what you mean, Madonna. Several years back I started thinking in terms of is it worth the energy? It’s a great way to stop wasting energy on something that is just not that important.
Thanks for sharing your method, Madonna.
Nice post, Cathy.
I make time for exercise.
I make time for family and friends.
I make time for me.
I carry my faith with me in every waking moment.
I live to see my family laughing together!
And very nice comment in return, Lori. Thanks for sharing it. 🙂