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Perceiving Time: Making Each Moment Count
by Sheri McGregor

Time. Most of us don’t have enough. How can we find more? Perception is the key.

ENJOY THE MOMENT
Sitting with fitness guru Kathy Smith in the courtyard of a chic little teahouse in Los Angeles recently, I wondered how this successful, on-the-go woman managed her time.

There on assignment for Walking Magazine, I'd done my research. I knew that Kathy Smith is called the most successful fitness coach in the U.S. She travels around the country giving talks and seminars, and her fitness videos sell in 16 countries. Her business empire is worth an astounding $500 million. Kathy is also a mother of two. With so much going on, it wasn't easy for her to fit in a few minutes of interview time. That's why she amazed me--the way she clipped the microphone to her mock turtleneck T-shirt, sat back in her chair and talked as if she had all the time in the world. 

The weak sunlight warmed us, and within a few minutes we had forgotten the constraints of the clock and chattered about a vast array of subjects. In listening to her thoughts, I realized that despite her busy life, Kathy Smith has learned to enjoy the moment--something we can all benefit by learning.

ABSENT IN YOUR LIFE
Consider these questions: Do you sometimes drive home on automatic pilot? When you’re out with your family, do you think about work the next day? Do plans for a busy day tomorrow hinder your presence in activities you do today? 

Tomorrow will arrive right on schedule. You can enjoy (or "deal with") it then.

In a recent class that incorporated acupressure and relaxation techniques, the instructor reminded us to stay present. “As often as you need to,” she said, “tell yourself out loud, ‘I'm here, right now.’"

Do you need that reminder? Say it out loud or in your head the next time you catch yourself drifting.

FUTURE ROBBING THE PRESENT
Maybe these minor mind drifts into the immediate future don't apply to you. Maybe your "future" involves an even greater jump in time, say, to your children’s college education, your retirement or some other future security.

Are you so narrowly focused that you don't stop and enjoy the day? Thinking about paying that car off so you can afford the next? Getting that last big piece of furniture paid off so you can buy new carpeting?

There's nothing wrong with making plans and working toward their reality, but if you allow them to, plans for the future can rob you of the life you live today.

NOW IS THE BEST TIME
Time changes everything. Your precious children grow and change daily. For those with older ones, when was the last time your child climbed into your lap without a prompt? If you had known that was the last time, would you have slid him off as quickly? Or would you have cherished that moment, let the joy of it seep into your soul?

In the song “Cry Freedom,” written by Dave Matthews and performed by the Dave Matthews Band, a line of lyrics says it all: “The future is no place to place your better days.”

At best, the future is uncertain. Make these days, these individual moments, your very best.
--end

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by Sheri McGregor and may not be reproduced without express permission.