“In the course of life a small number of people will like you; a small number will dislike you; and the vast majority won’t care one way or the other. So, be yourself. Follow your heart. And watch doors open.” Anonymous
You may not believe this but you have around 60-72 hours a week of free time, more or less, when you’re not working or sleeping. In an average lifetime, that’s nearly 163,000 hours. Think of the possibilities if just 10% of those hours was spent in higher pursuits. Only laziness and lack of desire could stop you.
Here are nine powerful suggestions on how to fill some of those hours with positive, productive, and fulfilling activities:
- Live fully. Open continually to new experiences.
- Love openly. In some way, let those you love know it every day.
- Labor joyously. Choose to enjoy your work, or find new work.
- Laugh heartily. Laughter actually is the best medicine. Do it often.
- Link consciously. Recognize that you do not exist in a vacuum. The world needs you.
- Lead gently. Set an example of integrity. Be the change you want to see in the world (Gandhi, paraphrased).
- Learn continuously. New knowledge improves brain function and might even help you avoid dementia-type diseases like Alzheimer’s.
- Lament necessarily. You sometimes need to grieve. It’s natural, healthy, and relieves stress.
- Leave gracefully. Death is not the enemy. Some (including me) believe it’s just the beginning.
James Michener said, “The master in the art of living makes little distinction between work and play, between labor and leisure… The master hardly knows which is which.”
Next time you’re tempted to say—or even think—that you “just don’t matter,” or “There’s not enough time,” consider those 163,000 “free” hours. That’s enough time to make just about any dream a reality. That, a little ambition, and the release of "I can't" which, by the way, is actually "I won't." After all, ask Nikita Khrushchev once quipped, “Life is short. Live it up!”
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