Time is....

...a commodity...your friend...your foe...

How would you define time? Does it feel abundant or scarce in your life? I was thinking about this yesterday as I spent most of the day in Santa Paula, California. The National Disaster Search Dog Foundation honored the new graduates of its training program. These brave dogs and their equally remarkable handlers will be there at the next disaster searching for the living who may be buried under rubble.

I first saw them working the pile at Ground Zero after 9/11. They have my heart and I help raise awareness and money every chance I get. You really can't imagine a dog going up and down ladders, through tubes or scampering over rubble until you see them train. And they do it for the reward of their favorite toy. They also do it for the love of their handlers with whom they live 24/7. I could wax poetic about them for hours...but it's time I wanted to write about today.

You have to manage your time otherwise either it will manage you or it will be managed for you by everyone else in your life. I worked hard all week so that I could take yesterday and, you know, throw it to the dogs! If you think that a time budget, so to speak, is a waste of time, how else are you going to achieve your goals or live a balanced life? Managing time is of course about achieving the lofty goals you set for yourself. It's also about the every day, mundane things...those that are chores and those that are rewards. Life is a balancing act from the moment we're born.

Things to think about this beautiful Sunday. Of course all of my books are full of ways to manage time. It's the fabric out of which you craft your very life. Today I'm also thinking ahead to June 2nd. I'll be returning to China for my second visit. You can't imagine all the details that require organizing! I so want to leave with a sense of accomplishment rather than having that sick feeling of dread when you know you've left a laundry list of items on your To do list. Organizing isn't a dreaded task for a weekend or a day every so often. Organizing is a skill that allows you to enjoy a more productive life.

So, again I ask...how would you describe time?

Blessings,
Regina Leeds