There is always time to do what you love, to rest, to relax, to love.
There is Always Time
The great thing about memorizing things is that years, even decades later, they are still there. Lines from a poem, the words of a song, scripture verses, and the right notes to a piece of music still linger somewhere in our brains. I have never forgotten the beginning lines to the following poem by Welsh poet, W.H. Davies, mainly because it says so much about how we live our lives.
Leisure
What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows.
No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.
No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night.
No time to turn at Beauty's glance
And watch her feet, how they can dance.
No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.
A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
Leisure
What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows.
No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.
No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night.
No time to turn at Beauty's glance
And watch her feet, how they can dance.
No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.
A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
I love this poem because it reminds me what a successful life looks like; that there is time for love and beauty. There is always time to do things you love.
I can almost hear the protests:
For example, I’ve decided that I want to do a sketch every day. Nothing fancy, just a little sketch in my pocket sketchbook. Am I doing it faithfully? Um, no.
The reason I haven’t done it yet is because I have to re-arrange my schedule to make room for a ten- or fifteen-minute sketch and I haven’t done that.
I could spend that much less time watching Netflix in the evening and sketch instead, or I could get out my sketchbook and draw something before I eat breakfast.
While I want to do it, I didn't make the decision to fit it in. But I could start right now, couldn't I? And so can you.
I can almost hear the protests:
- “You don’t know how busy I am.”
- “I’ve got so much to do already.”
- “I’m already run ragged."
For example, I’ve decided that I want to do a sketch every day. Nothing fancy, just a little sketch in my pocket sketchbook. Am I doing it faithfully? Um, no.
The reason I haven’t done it yet is because I have to re-arrange my schedule to make room for a ten- or fifteen-minute sketch and I haven’t done that.
I could spend that much less time watching Netflix in the evening and sketch instead, or I could get out my sketchbook and draw something before I eat breakfast.
While I want to do it, I didn't make the decision to fit it in. But I could start right now, couldn't I? And so can you.
If you think about something that you’d like to do more of, ask yourself what has to happen before you can accomplish it. Can you get up a little earlier in the morning? Or, go to bed a little later at night?
Perhaps exchanging one activity for another would make the space for what you would like to do. It might require a little imagination, but really, we often do a lot of things in a day that aren’t strictly necessary. It’s like time clutter. Clear out the non-essential and there is more space.
It comes down to this:
If you want more time, do less.
Choose what is most important and let go of the rest.
Perhaps exchanging one activity for another would make the space for what you would like to do. It might require a little imagination, but really, we often do a lot of things in a day that aren’t strictly necessary. It’s like time clutter. Clear out the non-essential and there is more space.
It comes down to this:
If you want more time, do less.
Choose what is most important and let go of the rest.
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