We Devote Time and Attention to What's Most Important

This topic is fresh on my mind, having just finished a conversation about it.  I have really been thinking in the past year about how we devote time, money, and attention to the things that are most important to us.  We often make excuses for why we can't have, do, or learn something, but the reality of the matter is that if we really wanted those things, we would make the time.

We made the mistake of following this train of thought with regards to our home in California.  We put off fixing things because we felt we couldn't afford it.  But then we moved to China, and had to make those repairs so that we could rent out our house.  When it came down to it, I realized that many of the repairs weren't as expensive as I thought they would be.  I realized we could have done them sooner, but we chose not to.  Money is always a concern, but frankly, we spent money eating out occasionally, or we spent money on hobbies.  In fact, it wasn't that we didn't have money, it's that we allocated it for other purposes.

The same goes for time.  I can't tell you how many times I have people make suggestions to me, and I have said, "I don't have time for that."  But lately I've thought about people I know, (Looney is a good example) who make better use of their time than I do, so accomplish much more.  Instead of watching television, or playing video games, they use the time for what is important to them.  Instead of shopping, or talking on the phone, they take an online class.  Instead of sleeping in late, they get up early and exercise.  We all make the excuse that we don't have the time to do certain things, but many other people, with just as much free time as us, do much more with the time they have.

Having said that, I do think there needs to be some allotment for stress relief in our lives.  In some cases, not taking on more is a way to manage stress.  So if we are a person who works all day long, and barely has time to relax, then I think it is wise to allow the free time, and not push ourselves to over achieve.  But in that case, I think we still need to be careful to not say, "I don't have time for that."  We do have the time, we just have chosen to use our time differently.

The same goes for money.  There are some people who don't make enough to meet their needs.  But many of us feel that way, when in actuality it isn't true.  In my mind, if we have enough money to buy junk food, we have some wiggle room if we want to allocate money towards a different purpose.  If we have money to spend on hobbies, then we have money that could be used to make repairs.  If we have money to eat out, then we certainly have money to pay off any owed credit.

So my rant is over for now.  But remember that if you talk to me, and complain about not having enough money, or not having enough time, I will have a lot to say on the subject.  We all get the same 24 hours, and many people do more with less than we have.