The Waste You Regret


Inspirational Stories
The Waste You Regret
By , © 2011

There is no doubt that our modern day lives are filled with demands on our time and that we are usually hurrying here and there trying to fit all of these activities into a normal day. There are times when we just want to get through with something so we can go on to the next without really enjoying any aspect of our day.

So, what are we doing to ourselves? Do you realize that we are wasting a great portion of our life scurrying here and there and not appreciating or enjoying the pleasures of the day?

Here are a few examples to let you know what I mean.

  • Not worrying about the untidiness of your living room that prevents you from inviting a friend over for tea, or even seating for a few minutes just to relax with a good book
  • Rolling the windows down during a beautiful summer day instead of being concerned that your hair will look wind blown when you go to the grocery store or meet with friends, or go out to dinner
  • Afraid to get a little dirty by playing with your children on the lawn or in a sand box with them
  • Enjoying each day of being a new mother looking after your new baby rather than wishing your child would be older, walking and toilet trained

    The list could go on and on but I know you have the point. The only thing that prevents us from really enjoying our activities is us. We often tend to get caught up in doing so many things, or worrying about what other people may think, or doing what others want rather than what we want to do.

    An interesting and effective exercise to do in order to appreciate all those important little things in life is to sit down away from distractions, take a pencil and paper, and write down all those things that you feel anxious about, or things that you think you have to do during the course of a week. Make sure you write each one of these on one line and leave a space between each point. Once you have your list, review it to be sure you haven’t left anything out.

    Next, review each point one at a time, and decide whether you MUST do this activity. If you must do it, write an alternative point to express this activity or how to make this activity more enjoyable. For example, if one of your MUST dos is commuting to work, you may not be able to alter this activity but you can make it more rewarding. Instead of listening to the radio, play inspirational tapes, CDs, or put in a CD that can talk you through learning a new skill, or adopting a new attitude. Do something that gives you pleasure so that the commute does not stick in your mind as drudgery. Continue on for each point you have listed and see which ones you can eliminate, and if you can’t, devise ways that make the task more pleasurable or rewarding.

    You don’t have to go through life in a blur without experiencing its pleasures. It is up to you to change it.





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