It is time for me to...

Why not seize the pleasure at once? How often is happiness destroyed by preparation, foolish preparation? -Jane Austen

We can do whatever we wish to do provided our wish is strong enough. . . .What do you most want to do? Thatís what I have to keep asking myself, in the face of difficulties. -Katherine Mansfield

Daily living in the twenty-first century is very time consuming. We are here, we are there-either physically or in our minds. We get so caught up in our pursuits that it is difficult to step aside and see where we are or where we're headed. We work, travel, parent, play sports, make love, shop, drive, comfort, advise. We are forever surfing the channels of our lives. At night, we sleep, exhausted. . .or stay awake anguishing about all those chores waiting in the wings.

"This year is flying by" we complain. We buy a piano but cannot spare one hour a week to take lessons. We cut short our morning jog to meet business clients for breakfast. We whisk the kids from soccer practice to art classes to the orthodontist. We bring our laptops on vacation and spend hours under the palm trees working spreadsheets.

It is time to stop! Hide your cell phone. Step outside and feel the breeze against your face. Be still and reflect. Are you healthy? Fulfilled? Grateful? Do you laugh? Sing? Dance? Exercise? Do you spend enough time with your friends? Do you savor holidays spent with your family? What is it that you need to give your days more meaning?

Right now is the best time to start living your life the way you picture it. With diary in hand, go to a quiet place within yourself. What do you need to change, get rid of, or do more of? Begin by making a list: "It is time for me to. . . ."