Use Your Time Wisely

I'm back! Well, technically I was never gone, but it has sure been a long time since I blogged. Now the season has ended at my tax job, so hopefully I will have more time to write. I read a quote online the other day that said, "Do more than exist." I would love to do that, although I am not quite sure what other thing I am supposed to be doing other than existing. So while I am trying to figure that out, I will blog. (Hey, maybe I will luck out and blogging will be the thing I am supposed to be doing!)

Now that I have more time on my hands, I get to thinking about what is really the best use of that time. Back in the day, if you had down-time, you were either extremely rich or about ready to die. Because throughout most of human existence, it took most of your energy and effort just to stay alive. You had to either gather food or grow crops, tend to children and animals, build shelters and houses, prepare food, make clothes, wash clothes and dishes, and hundreds of other activities. There was no time for relaxing or being creative, or thinking about much of anything other than how to survive.

Today, I think many people take the luxury of free time for granted. We have a great many machines and businesses that do almost everything for us, yet what do we do with all this time on our hands to better the world? Do we invent amazing things? Do we create art? Do we learn and grow? Do we teach? Do we give of our time to the needy? Some people do, yes. But the overwhelming majority are doing things like updating Facebook, getting drunk, making YouTube videos, pulling pranks, watching T.V. and movies, or overall causing trouble. It's like they are just finding ways to waste time and fill the void until they die.

It's sad to me that so many people are counter-productive with extra time. It doesn't give me much faith in human-kind. Yet I can't say much since it's not like I do amazing things with my free time. But at least I am thinking about it and realizing that things need to get better. I think most people are just oblivious. So, maybe the point is that awareness about good use of time needs to spread, and that is something we all can do. We can all make life more meaningful and happy by doing good things with our time, rather than idly watching the clock run down.