I had spent the morning reading the final chapters of a book. I closed the book and glanced at the time — 11:43 a.m. Then BAM, I blurted my first thought out loud.
"Well, looks like I wasted half a day already."
"Wasted." Yep, I was clutching the usual guilt I feel each day ... as morning slides into afternoon. A guilt I carry as luggage to remind me of what I should be unpacking — all those important things I should be doing.
But here's the irony. The book was all about how feeling guilty actually keeps us from enjoying life. A life that is finite and limited, says Oliver Burkeman, the man who wrote the book titled, "Meditations for Mortals, Four Weeks to Embrace Your Limitations and Make Time for What Counts."
I had immediately stepped back into the trap ... that constant desire to have complete control over each hour of my day. To never lose sight of my goals.
Slow down, says Burkeman. Your to-do list will never be completely done and none of us live forever. So stop letting future worry destroy your present.
Burkeman makes one point that hits home. Think of something you can do today that you really want to do. It’s probably not on the to-do list. But do it. Afterwards those other tasks look different.
So spending the morning reading his book — or any book — was not a waste of time. Time that belongs to me.
I’m Lonny Cain … and that’s my Perspective.
