Got the time?

Earlier today, I was pondering the "what do I write about today?" question and took my own advice from a previous blog post and googled "journal prompts." It's a literal gold mine out there, people, so don't hesitate to look there.

One site I found not only has the daily prompts, but a space for others to leave their aha moments and responses, so if you need a little deeper inspiration you can find it there: https://grateful.org/practice/daily-questions/

I scrolled through the Grateful Living site and picked this: "When I view the time available to me with a sense of abundance, what arises?"

I chuckled at the concept of an abundance of time because it often feels like every moment of my life is spoken for--even though a lot of it is the stuff I have intentionally chosen to fill it with. Maybe you can relate? When the busyness of life gets to be too much, how can we shift our perspective to feel more abundant with time?

I think it has to do more with micro moments than the big spaces of time. And I think it also has to do with choice. Ironically, what I've found to be true is that the more I schedule in the things that I am interested and intending to do, the more likely I am to do them and reap the benefits. Whether its exercise, writing, meeting with friends, date night with my guy, or something fun with the kids - if it's on the schedule, it tends to happen.

But what about the spaciousness of an empty calendar day? The excitement and possibility of what I could do? Rather than what I should? But what if those shoulds are also translated into "I get tos"? 

It's tricky. I don't have an answer. We all have responsibilities and we are also responsible for creating spaciousness and abundance with our time. It can sometimes feel impossible, but that's why I feel like the micro-moments matter most: 

15 minutes with a pen and paper

10 minutes outside with our feet in the grass

5 minutes of deep, restful breathing

2 minutes of loud laughter with a beloved friend or family member

These can create the abundance and expansion of time, maybe little by little, so that it doesn't feel so tight. So that we have a sense of control over how we spend whatever time we have here. Understanding that time is a construct, and yet...