Photo Editor
Time. Why do we feel so constrained by time? Is there a reason to be?
It seems we focus more on planning out our days to make sure we get done a certain amount of things in a certain order in a certain amount of time than we do just DOING.
I’m guilty of this. There’s no hiding the fact. In turn, I spend my time beating myself up for not checking off certain to-do’s on my checklist and worrying myself about all that needs to get done in the near (and far) future.
Rationally though, what good does this do? Why is it so hard to stay focused within the present without any distractions of the past and future butting in and stealing focus from what is going on in the now?
When I take the time to think about the pointlessness of feeling like I could have accomplished more or needing to get an unreasonable amount of things done by a certain day and time, I re-evaluate where I’m placing my focus in life. Sure, it’s good to learn from the past and plan out our futures to a certain extent, but the present is what is happening now.
If we focus more on the present, the future will fall in line. It has no choice. Nobody can control the future anyways, so why not be fully in the present, a time that is coming and going – fading into the past as you read this.
It comes down to accepting that we can only do our best and realizing that we are only capable of so much. Although living in the present should be a high priority, it’s also good to dedicate a portion of our busy lives to evaluating where we are placing our focus. This whole concept of focus is where our passion lies. It’s where we spend time that should matter to us. It’s where we develop relationships that mean the most and accomplish goals that make a difference.
In today’s fast-paced society, it’s so easy for our focus to get distracted, or even fade away all together. We have a lot on our minds! That’s why it’s good to take a little time for yourself.
Take a walk. Have a cup of coffee under the morning sun. Swing for a while at the park. Breathe in some fresh air and count your blessings!
Relax. Evaluate. Refocus.
Lauren Dahlhauser,
Photo Editor
