It's Your Time.
This article is part of Finding the Words, a newsletter that delivers practical insights on the day’s issues.
And so we come to the end of another year—somehow always sooner than we expect and with more to-dos on the list than we'd like.
These days can get the better of us. We can feel the weight of world events. We can feel the stressful demands of our jobs. We can feel overwhelmed by personal or family challenges that heighten during the holidays.
And we can feel at our breaking point by it all.
We can also feel grateful. To be present in this moment, with access to a wealth of information. To have people who need us and to have time to spend—even when that time is scarce.
Life can be both/and.
Last week, I invited Dr. Jean Accius on the Mission Forward podcast to discuss his organization's work in building healthier and more equitable communities. The conversation was powerful, and his insights on time are sticking with me.
Here’s what he said:
“Time is our most valuable asset and our only non-renewable resource. Everything else can be replaced. We can innovate or create different alternatives for everything except for time. Once we spend time, we can never get it back."
So, pause with me for this moment in time. Set aside the lists, demands, and worries— just for a moment. And think: what tremendous power there is in how we choose to use our time, our most valuable asset.
Challenges will always require our time, making us feel like we're moving backward. Yes, and even in the busy seasons, there can be time for gratitude— the key to achieving long-term happiness and overall well-being.
Spending my mornings penning these articles for you has been a great honor. It's been time well spent, and I hope these articles have inspired and influenced your journey through this year as much as you have inspired me. If so, I hope you’ll reply to this week’s note and share what’s sticking with you or perhaps how you’ve put these weekly lessons to work.
I'll return in a few weeks to kick off my third year of this column. In the meantime, I wish you good health. I wish you and all in your community peace. And most of all, my friend, I wish you abundant time with those you love.
Until soon,
Carrie Fox
This post is part of the Finding The Words column, a series published every Wednesday that delivers a dose of communication insights direct to your inbox. If you like what you read, we hope you’ll subscribe to ensure you receive this each week.
