Let’s Talk About Time
When is the last time you really stopped and thought about time?
Have you ever found yourself saying things like:
There aren’t enough hours in the day.
Time just keeps getting away from me.
That was a waste of time.
I’m running out of time.
Or the favorite of parents and grandparents everywhere:
Where has the time gone?
While we feel the pressure of the hands of time moving forward, some of us are so busy we don’t actually think much about how we are spending
our time.
Now don’t freak out.
Stop for a second.
Take a deep breath.
And really think…how do you want to spend your time?
Here at ILG, we think time is of the essence.
In our Generous Classroom, kids all over the country are having deep discussions about how we want to spend our time.
We don’t just want to fritter our hours away and waste our precious moments.
While some see time as a commodity, we see it as an opportunity for investment
So let’s get to investing in the folks around us!
Time is Precious…and So Are People
You may not realize it but you have the power to bring encouragement and a whole lot of joy into the lives of folks around you – with your time.
When you invest your time in others, you impact their lives, their thoughts, and their outlook on the world around them.
You throw open the doors to joy and hope.
Just take a peek at I Like Bike…a moment when a family decided to give up their family time together and bless another family in their town with new bikes.
Super inspiring, right?
Not only did it give the bike receivers a jolt of joy, it ramped up the joy for the bike-givers.
Giving your time to others doesn’t mean you have less time for yourself,
it means you double your joy.
What a great trade off!!!
Time well spent, am I right?
Me Time vs. We Time
Did you know that the average American spends between 5 – 5 ½ hours a day on leisure activities…playing sports, watching TV, and swiping at their phone?
That’s about 1820 hours per year.
Now did you know that the average American spends about 52 hours per year volunteering and giving their time to others?
So that’s 1820 hours of me-time vs. 52 hours of me giving my time.
What would it look like if we flipped that around a little?
What if you and I decided to spend more of our precious moments touching the lives of precious people?
I think it would be great, don’t you?
Bring On the Joy
You may not know of anyone in your neighborhood who needs a new bike.
But maybe your older neighbor George can no longer reach the lemons on his tree and he’s longing for a glass of fresh-squeezed lemonade.
You could spend an afternoon picking and squeezing lemons to share with George.
Joy in a glass.
Or maybe your church is looking for kid workers in the nursery.
Why not sacrifice a Sunday service or two to love on some toddlers?
Those bundles of joy could light up your entire weekend.
There are over 1.54 million charities in the U.S. alone.
Find something or someone you are passionate about…whether it’s bikes, babies, or lemons…and give some of your time.
Joy upon joy upon joy.
There is no better way to spend your life.
Susanna Aughtmon is a gifted writer, wonderful wife, mother, daughter and friend, and a valued member of the I Like Giving team.
