Tag Archives: Time

What Are You Going to Do with the Time Given You?

Inspirational, , , , , ,

I must admit, I came to J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy via the initial movie by Peter Jackson. However I gobbled up all the novels before the last two movies came out. While I love the entire trilogy, I still think the first book and movie are my favorite. And out of many weighty passages, the one that is perhaps most meaningful now to me is an exchange that takes place between Frodo and Gandalf while lost deep under the Misty Mountains in the mines of Moria. Gandalf is providing Frodo deeper context to his quest to destroy the ring. Frodo isn’t happy with his predicament. The back and forth ends with this:

“I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo.

“So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” (The Fellowship of the Ring)

Like Frodo, its your call. Frodo has already endured loss and more will come his way. I don’t expect my life will be free of loss, pain and grief from here on out. What I do know is that I am determined to thrive… to bring life, build up and give hope along the way.

What are you going to do with the time that is given to you?

The Necessary Thief

Inspirational,

The list of necessary items to accomplish is often so long that it steals the time available for doing what’s important. At least that’s how it feels. Ever have one (or several) of those days where your main goal just keeps getting sidetracked because your schedule makes urgent demands on your time that must be met? Whether you’re a parent at home, a business person, a professional, a coach, or retired, we all deal with the inexorable pull of doing what is necessary. And necessary can be an elegant thief.

Because whenever we label a task as necessary, we empower it to usurp what’s actually important. And we do so without the guilt that accompanies procrastination. I mean the groceries had to be purchased, that sales report completed, or the car needed to have the oil changed, right? Absolutely! But the trap is closed when we allows ourselves to then think “Well, I just didn’t have time to get that important task done. I was busy being the responsible adult I’m required to be. And that’s good right? I didn’t waste time today, I did what was required of me.”

With that perfectly reasonable line of thinking, what’s important gets swept to the curb, buried in the detritus of busy-ness and languishes unfulfilled.

Having trouble determining what’s important? You’ll know it when you realize its the item on your to-do list that takes courage and fortitude, grit in your gut, to get it done. Necessary flows easily. It has inertia. What’s important requires intentionality. It makes you stop, gather yourself, focus and then purposefully move forward.

What’s necessary is never-ending, don’t conflate it with what’s important. Choose what’s important today.

I struggle with this everyday. I lost the battle the previous two days. I won today!