Finding Value in your day

Ever find yourself looking back on the day and feeling it was wasted time?

I remember my dad saying to me, "Money wasted can be regained, but time wasted is lost forever".  It's a pretty heavy statement, because it is so true.  It's easy to value money, because we know what we can BUY with it or what we have lost when we inadvertently drop a $20 on the ground by accident, (or drop $100 in our gas tank).  We feel the loss.  But is that the same when we lose a bit of time in our day???

How do you find value in time???? 

It's a tough concept, because for a lot of us, we are so wound up in our lives, we don't have time to think about it.  On the contrary, when we think about money, we budget, we plan and we spend it very carefully, sometimes going without, because we don't have enough money.

In this recession, I have to say I am a bit grateful.    It has made a lot of us stop and reassess what is REALLY important.  And for most of us it is our family, or health, or realizing that we don't always have a say in the cards; that God is the one in charge here! (insert your own diety if you wish).

There have been many wake up calls in recent years that have brought my perspective back into play.  I look at my kids, who were just in my arms as babies.  I realize I have been with my husband almost 2 decades.  I have lost my father and some friends in an untimely passing.  That is enough for me to stop and take a look at what is important and start viewing my time with a bit more value.

I have heard it said, if you don't know what kind of life you want to lead, sit down and write your eulogy. (you know...that thing that people say after you die???)  Wierd I know, but think about it!  What would you want said about you?  What would you want to be remembered for?  Think about the end and work backwards. 

I know that when I look back, I don't want to be remembered for all the "stuff" I had in my life.  I want to be remembered for the good things I have done.  That I was a good friend, mother and wife.  That I contributed to society and was a good example in the world.

Having an idea of how I want to be rememembered and how I contributed to this world gives me better perspective on how I can budget my time and find value in my day.  It makes me realize the value in my kisses to my kids and hugs to my husband and laughs with my friends.

How do YOU find value in time??