Time To Think

Take a moment to think. Take a moment to really think, find a place, a quiet place where no-one knows your there, there are no distractions, just you and silence. Now let your mind wander to what is really important to you. Is it the dress you had to have, the really expensive shoes, the new suit or trousers? I would be surprised if the answer was yes.

Ive done this quite a lot this week if I'm honest. The events of the past few weeks have made me re-evaluate a lot of the things that I deemed important to me.The Ipod touch, the Iphone, the games console. I came to the conclusion that what was really important to me was what was all around me. My family and friends. I don't need the material things Ive spent most of my life chasing ( no I'm not giving them away Ive not lost it completely ). I just came to realise that watching my kids play in the sunshine and looking at my wife in a way I hadn't done in a long time I realised what Id been missing.

They were there, they always had been but I hadn't noticed them. I hadn't looked hard enough. I hadn't enjoyed them. I was too busy chasing the next target, the next bonus, the next material item that some advertiser had convinced me I really must have but didn't really need. I hadn't stopped to say hello to the neighbours, Id seen them of course but I hadn't chatted to them, to find out how they were. What had changed in their lives. Id opened the front door and gone to work, Id come home from work and gone straight in. How many of us have done this?

Have we become so engrossed in our own world that we have forgotten that we are social animals, not meant to be on our own? Have we allowed the pressures of life to take away from us what we should be holding close and cherishing? There is a whole world of news around yes, yet we get it from the telly or the Internet. We don't, however,go out of our way to find it ourselves. We depend on people to give it to us. I'm not preaching to you far from it, this is just my thoughts as always.

Ive made some quite clear decision's this week, what is really important to me. My family and friends firstly. The jobs okay but there are to many know it alls there now. Arrogant youngsters who don't want to learn or take on board my experience, who will argue with me about how to do something, then ask me how to do it because the don't know. Always trying to get one up on me. Whats all that about?, My decisions will affect my family. They are good ones though. I will spend more time with them and will truly put the time and effort into finishing my writing course. Its what I want to do so I'm going to stop messing about with it and throw myself into it. I'm going to make the time to complete it and if, at the end I'm not good enough then I can say I gave it a go.

I'm going to listen to that old lady who talks to me in the shop, not brush her off or glance at her quickly, who knows I may be the only person she talks to that day. I will continue to offer my seat on the train to a lady, I will continue to open doors as well. I will enjoy my friends, who I have neglected for too many years, I will ring my mum and ask her how she is, and listen when she tells me. I will spend time even listening to the wife, that will shock her. I shall read stories to my kids at bed time again before they are too old or want me to.

Ive done most of these things this week and I can assure you at this moment I am at peace with myself. I am contented and happy like I haven't been in years. So as I said at the start of this blog.....................

Take a moment to think. Take a moment to really think, find a place, a quiet place where no-one knows your there, there are no distractions, just you and silence. Now let your mind wander to what is really important to you. Is it the dress you had to have, the really expensive shoes, the new suit or trousers?

I bet the answer surprises you.