Time...

Time is something that we too often take for granted. When we have 'too much time', we're bored. When we 'don't have enough time', we're stressed. Somehow, we're never satisfied with the amount of time we have in our lives.

Lately, it's started to slow down at work. My daily desk job is in the customer service field--vacation rentals, actually. Summers are spent dealing with guests' complaints, booking only a few reservations, and just doing our best to keep our heads above the water. As summer winds down, the calls become fewer and I find myself having more time on my hands. Don't get me wrong; by this time each year it feels great to not have as many difficult calls to deal with. At the same time, it seems like there's so much extra time; unproductive time. The booking season begins to pick up but that doesn't occupy my day nearly as much as issues during the summer.

I actually look forward to going home so I can continue work on my many projects. I don't want to go to bed at night feeling like I've not accomplished anything that day. I've been organizing a lot of my research materials for my Montessori Albums--I admit I spend hours finding the right articles, printing new material, compiling information, organizing and reorganizing. Does anyone else out there slightly obsess over such things? I know I'm not alone on that front :o)

I also take time every couple of days to make jewelry. A local store started carrying my pendant necklaces this summer and they can't seem to keep enough of them in stock! It's been incredible to find the ins and outs of selling my pieces in a retail setting. In the past, I've just sold a few to friends and friends of friends. It's all been by word of mouth and just for fun. Now it has become much larger and I'm starting to build a name for myself locally. It's great to see and hear that people appreciate what you do!

Back to the topic at hand... I choose to spend my time productively and on things I enjoy because I know that's something I have control over. I can't control how much extra time I'll have at work each day--that changes by the minute sometimes. But I CAN choose how much time I have when I'm at home. The amount of time spent on projects can be changed depending upon my stress or energy level, etc. I choose to be productive so as not to become 'bored'. I also choose not to overschedule myself in an effort to de-stress.

Maybe that's something that we need to be more careful about. CHOOSING to allow ourselves enough time each day, yet not depriving ourselves of the opportunity to enjoy each moment. To lead productive, full lives without the stress of overscheduling and overcommitment. What do you think? Doesn't our society dictate our time too often? We're either lazy or strung out--nothing in between. Food for thought, I suppose. Good words to ponder.