Wasting Time?

Life becomes a difficult balance between staying sane and wasting time. How does one decide whether an activity or person is a time waster or a justified reprieve from the daily grind?

1. Do you feel better, happier, and more refreshed afterwards?

2. Do you feel guilt-free?

3. Have you grown at all as a person?

4. Are you thinking more clearly now about a stressful/emotional matter?

5. Are others who were involved in the activity also feeling positive?

6. Do you look forward to doing the activity (or seeing/talking to the person) again, but not in an obsessive way?

7. Are you proud of having spent your time this way—not just guilt-free?

8. Can you think of others who might also enjoy this activity/person and can’t wait to share the joy?

Sometimes we obsess over or feel guilty about things when we should really applaud that our lives have balance, but more often we get sucked into Facebook, chat rooms, dating websites, Internet surfing, texting, video games, and movies/TV and can’t stop. I hope the above list helps you stop and think.

If you can’t say yes to any of the above, perhaps it is best to set a timer or move up to something more fulfilling. Life, after all, is an hourglass that is slowly running out.