Time & Space

“A proverb in Ecuador states, ‘Everything takes longer than it does.’”  (from Margin, by Richard A. Swenson, M.D. – 2004)

Isn’t that the truth?  While our tasks seem to increase, our time seems to decrease and then our stress levels shoot through the roof.  Part of my job is to help each of you grow in spiritual fitness, reducing stress and building resiliency.  So how do we get create more time and space in our days?  Well, time is static – we can’t add anymore hours.  Space, or margin, on the other hand, is something we can control.  Dr. Swenson, in his book, Margin, offers 16 prescriptions to gain a “time margin” in our lives.  Here are the first three:

1)       Expect the unexpected – this “is not an invitation to sloppiness or mediocrity but instead a concession to reality.”

2)      Learn to Say No – “When Steven Jobs took over Apple Computer…he preached that the company needed a prioritizing plan… ‘Focus does not meaning saying yes,’ explained Jobs, ‘it means saying no.’”  Make a “To Do” list and a “To Don’t” list.

3)      Turn Off the Television (Technology) – For the average adult this would gain twenty to thirty hours a week…really!!!  Add to that the mindless web-surfing, gaming, and texting that we do and you’d be amazed how much time you’d have on your hands. 

Why is this so important?  Let me quote Dr. Swenson,

We must have some room to breathe.   We need freedom to think and permission to heal.  Our relationships are being starved to death by velocity.  No one has time to listen, let alone love.  Our children lay wounded on the ground, run over by our high-speed good intentions.  Is God now pro-exhaustion?  Doesn’t He lead people beside still waters anymore?  Who plundered those wide-open spaces of the past, and how can we get them back?  There are no fallow lands for our emotions to lie down and rest in.  We miss them more than we suspect…In our enthusiasm to improve material and cognitive performance, we neglected to respect other more complex and less object parameters along the way.  The social, emotional, and spiritual contributions to our well-being were, and continue to be, overlooked and underestimated.

Make the commitment this week to add some margin to your day.  Start by adding 15 minutes of quiet.  Yes, you may go through techno withdrawal, but you’ll add space that allows you to find rest for your soul, healing for your mind, hope in your relationships and health for your body. 

Think about it!