If you regularly wish you had time.
If your hobbies are all sitting gathering dust.
If you don't have enough time for a full nights sleep.
If the books are going unread.
If your soccer star doesn't juggle the ball in the yard.
If meals don't happen at the dinner table.
If you don't have time for free tickets.
If your to do list is never empty.
If you don't have time to fold laundry.
Your life is overcrowded.
What is overcrowded?
You have so many options to pick from and you are afraid that you will miss out on some success or happiness that instead you grab them all. However you can be happy and successful with only a portion of the opportunities. Infact you will be more happy with a simple and purposeful life, finding your acceptance in God and not in accomplishments or others opinion of you.
It is like when you are at the candy store and you grab everything you can fit into your hands. The price of the candy adds up and you have to pay for it with all the money you have in your pocket. Then you can't give to the friend or your family because you spent it all on what you thought would make you happy, handfuls of candy. After you chewed up every last bit, it was quickly the next day and you went back to the candy shop and gorged on the candy again. Day after day you consumed all you could in the name of "making the most of life." However it was never has fullfilling has you wished and often was a chore to keep up with.
Then one day you decided to pick only your favorite 3 candies and only the amount you could enjoy slowly within one day. It was a struggle at first to take the risk of not tasting your 4th and 5th favorite. Or the fear that you would miss out on the eating freenzy with your friends. Oh, and you would not be as accomplished since you only ate a handful instead of your usual gorging amount of two handfuls. However you took the risk and made your modest selection and paid only half the money you had in your pocket. Then sat out on the curb and savored each candy separately and deliciously. It was as if the sun had come out for the first time, you could see shapes in the clouds, and you were free. Free to relax and enjoy each candy piece. Free to give the extra money in your pocket away to those around you that were in need.
So your activity choices are like the daily trip to the candy store. Do you cram every bit of activity or wish into your day, wanting oodles of happiness to transpire or do you carefully select a less than reasonable amount so that you can savor the day and give to others? Are you sercure enough in how God planned your day and who you are to have a simple and delicious life? Do you have time to give to others?
I learned this month that my attitude and actions of "making the most of life" were really me wanting to impress myself and others, grab all the possiblities of happiness, and selfishly cram my day with me centered or me gratifying activities. A change in me has occurred.