Finding Time

Finding Time

"When I start my day by reflecting on all the things I have to be grateful for,

I’ll have a much more rewarding day."

~Russell Simmons

Back in elementary school, in the 4th, 5th, and 6th grade, our class would always get excited whenever our teachers' Mrs. Young and Mrs. Thielen would say just one word. READ-A-THON! So it may not be found in the dictionary, but a read-a-thon really just means that instead of having multiple lessons during the school day we just got to read from the beginning bell to the end. When we heard we were going to have a read-a-thon, we would get up and cheer. The morning of our read-a-thon, we would each come to school with our pillows under our arms, our blanket dragging across the floor, bookbags on our back, and our hands full of capri sun juice packs, candy, cookies, and crackers. We would even carry along a little money to purchase snacks at the vending machines. (As you can imagine, this was our cooks least favorite day, beacuse we were always too full to eat our food during lunchtime.) Once we got in the classroom we called out our spot and spread our blankets out, sometimes making forts or laying under the desks. Then it was finally time to lay down, eat our snacks, and of course, the main purpose of the day, start reading.

Our teachers would set a day just for us to read. This was a great opportunity for us to actually have some time to read a book and we couldn’t use the time to do anything else. In high school, though, we never heard the word read-a-thon. It was now our responsibility to always read on our own time.
Not only is reading something we must find time to do, but also reflecting; reflecting upon your life. We are not just given a whole day to reflect about what has happened and why it may have happened like reading back in elementary school. Now, we actually have to take time and reflect.

One of my favorite ways to reflect over the summer was taking a walk up and down my driveway while the sun set. Just taking some time to realize what happened that day, being thankful for the gifts that I had, and how I could be an even better person the next day. As the summer ended and college began, it got tough to find time to reflect but I realized there are many opportunities during our day to reflect…

* While Driving
* By writing in a Journal
* Chatting with a friend you can trust or who will challenge you.
* During daily chores like washing the dishes, folding clothes or cooking supper.
* Taking a Walk
* Listening to Music
* and so many more- it just depends on you!

As the holidays are here, we are usually reminded to be thankful for what we have; but truly it is every day, in all that we do, that we should show that gratitude and reflect upon our days. This day though, is the perfect day to start. This evening just take three minutes. THREE minutes before you fall asleep or while you drive or while you cook and think of what you have accomplished, some challenges you faced, how you acted and what you want to carry on to the next day and what you would rather change.

I know life goes quickly and we don’t think we have time or we need to reflect, but the only way to make us better in what we do and how we live is to learn from mistakes, to discover our gifts and talents, and to realize who we are supposed to be. A whole day is not given to us to reflect like read-a-thons in elementary school, so it is up to us to make that time.

"Seeing yourself as you want to be is the key to personal growth."

~Author Unknown