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Carpe Diem

People may be so accustomed to living on the run that, unless we are running ourselves ragged, a good portion of time & effort is still expected from us. Albeit, much of this expectation is subconscious yet the disappointment palpable when our time is not consistently shared with others. The reality is that we all need to allow time just for ourselves & we too oft sell ourselves out. Although essential to be ABLE to put others ahead of ourselves, the true challenge is to make them an equal priority. As soon as we prioritize someone over ourselves, we have diminished who we are thus what we have to offer. It is both self-defeating & supportive of *no*-one to set ourselves aside rather than come beside.

Not only do I need to honor my own limits but will, in turn, honor others'. While everyone's limitations vary, they are merely a state of being & one's limits need not affect state of mind. Ren Descartes' "I think, therefore I am" is but the beginning for thought creates action. As for myself, I have worked long & hard with the help of amazing support to achieve maintainable limit-pushing. The key, of course, is not to give in to limits; the mental limitations we place on ourselves far outweigh the physical & we cannot accommodate, much less change, the latter until we abolish the first. We must remain simultaneously aware of just how much we really CAN do & how little we actually MUST do.

The determination to live each day to its fullest unfortunately gets interpreted as fitting the maximum into each & every day that is theoretically - not necessarily physically - possible. However, nothing can be fully appreciated, not to mention achieved, without its own space & time. Granted, there are things throughout our daily lives that do indeed have deadlines so those things cannot be ignored but can be done bit by bit. While the dread actually *is* worse than the doing, grace periods also exist for a reason. Days comprised only of what must be done need never disappoint for they are each an accomplishment & then a joy when we find even a moment for ourselves within them.

Whenever I do my own thing, regardless of what gets temporarily or once again set aside, I make MY time count. Furthermore, I am enriched which in turn enriches the time spent with others. That time is always so welcome yet I have found that those opportunities arise right when most needed. Whereas it is never my desire to bypass any possible connection with those I love, neither am I willing to second guess how a day needs to play out. As thing after thing unfolds each day, as much as I love when it does include others, I cannot feel guilty when it does not. If only queries into what we have been doing did not so oft carry implied accusations that our doings may not justify having seemingly ignored the asker! Although I fervently believe in staying in touch, there simply should not be any kind of time-line involved. With too much expectation comes too little appreciation.

|_|) "The proper function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time." - Jack London

Learn more about this author, Dorian Rhodes.
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