Love it or hate it, yesterday Valentine's Day was on everyone's mind. Whether it was because you were anticipating romance or were loathing the commercial holiday, I bet you at least thought about LOVE at least once, or maybe even twice, throughout the day.
Love is certainly that amazing "thing that makes the world go 'round." There's no two ways around it. Heck, it made me skip town at the ripe old age of 33 to move to a city where I didn't know a soul in order to marry the man of my dreams...yes, the man I LOVE. But there's a lot more to love than the affection and emotions we have for and show to others. There are also the THINGS, the HOBBIES, we choose to love by devoting our time, energy, and resources to them. It's easy to see the things we love by looking at how we spend our time. Isn't time truly the most valuable thing you have to give? If that is so, then why not take a quick account of where you are spending this most precious commodity in your everyday life.
1. Our Jobs. For most of us, we spend an inordinate amount of time just working to make a living. Of course, the ideal is to LOVE our jobs so that the time and energy we invest toward it is gratifying and only adds to our well-being instead of detracting from it. However, we aren't wide-eyed college students anymore, convinced we will find our dream jobs and change the world. No, in the reality that is adulthood, most of us find ourselves in careers that are less than gratifying. Many of us find ourselves with a family, a mortgage, and, in these horrible economic times, considerable debt and stress. If you are one of those individuals who NEEDS your job more than you LOVE it, loving the fact that you even have a job at this point in time is something to which you can cling. Remember, there are many who would give their right arms to just have a secure job instead of having to worry about where that next paycheck will come from.
2. Our Families. Although I do not have rugrats of my own, I can appreciate the time and energy that goes into being the parent your children need and the spouse that your significant other deserves. After your jobs, the time that goes into the nurturing and care of your family is pretty mind-numbing. From the moment you awake to the time your head hits the pillow, you are responsibilities are enumerable. I often feel the time-constraints a family can place upon you and I only have a wonderful (and mostly maintenance-free) husband and two fur-babies (not-so-maintenance free). Being a parent is like having two full-time jobs, and if you don't LOVE it you are in for a very long haul. But, loving your family also means loving yourself. Finding the time to commit to your own healthy lifestyle is essential in order to be the best parent and spouse you can be. Taking an hour to yourself every day in order to exercise and strengthen your body will only make you healthier, more balanced, and energetic, thus putting you in the best position to care for your family.
3. Our Hobbies. After fulfilling all of the obligations of the two most time-consuming areas of our lives, having time left to indulge in our hobbies is a bonus. What we choose to do with our free time is a true barometer of our values. Too many people, both young and old, choose to spend what little time they do have sitting in front of a television or computer instead of being active and participating in hobbies that increase both their fitness and health. One excuse they might employ is that they are simply too tired from the rigors of their lives and obligations to get out and run (or lift or ski or throw or walk). These are the people who need the gift of time spent exercising the most! If you are tired and run down and just generally exhausted from the obligations of your JOB and your FAMILY, God's secret gift to cure your malaise is exercise, be that physical or mental. Challenging yourself and your limits is a source of increased strength and confidence. I am certain that both your employer and your family will benefit from a stronger, more confident you! Just as with our careers and our families, it is important to choose wisely with our hobbies so that they will add to our overall well-being, thus becoming something we LOVE!
I'm sure you can name a milliion bazillion more things you love, however if you look at them objectively, they will all fall into one of these three categories. Take some time today to examine where you are spending your time, if it's being spent wisely, and how you can better utilize that time to benefit both you and your loved ones!
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