Is Time Running Out?

           As we all know, time is more valuable than money, and you can always make more money but you can’t make more time. Time goes by whether you’re doing something productive or just sitting on your ass. It marches on if you’re listening to B.S. or being enlightened.

          Time can’t be bundled up and stored away in safekeeping for future use. It’s here now and then it’s gone. Today is today; it isn’t coming back.

Make the most of it

           The best way to honor the value of your time is to use it wisely. Today and every day is a gift to be experienced with joy and passion. Life as a whole is a gift to be lived with joy and passion. At bedtime, how often can you reflect upon the day and feel you have honored it? Or have you succumbed to hours of mindless TV watching, or gossiping, or being with negative or boring people?

           How much of your time is unfocused, unmotivated or unplanned? It might be a good idea to look at, on the average, how much time you spend online, planning meals, reading the news, missing or being late for appointments, commuting, gossiping, on the phone or arguing. How much time have you wasted being upset and angry? And for what? Being motivated and taking the time to plan much of your time will help you avoid many pitfalls of wasting time.

It's Time to Get Real

          As September rolls into October a whole new crop of reality TV programs will begin soliciting our time and better viewing judgment. I have my favorites, which completely bypasses the admission that I do, in fact, watch reality TV. Do you? Do you have your favorites?

          For every ten reasons psychologists say reality TV is bad for us, another ten say it’s healthy and we can learn a lot from it. I know because I actually Googled the question.

          Here are some of the reasons reality TV is stated as being good for us and, yes, I’m rolling my eyes at each one of these:

     -it prepares us for the real world
     -it reminds us just how bad or good things can be
     -we can learn from the mistakes of others
     -it exposes viewers to different perspectives and cultures

          In spite of them being pretty obvious, here are some reasons reality TV is stated as being bad for us:

     -there’s nothing real about them
     -they perpetuate stereotypes, including stupidity
     -the emotional and physical wellbeing of participants is
          manipulated for the ratings
     -some audiences view participants as celebrities and
          role models.

          I believe that kids are consistently the largest viewing audience, however, I sure have watched more TV as a senior than I did when I worked. And that viewing includes reality TV; Dancing With the Stars is a favorite.

          I gave myself a “come to Jesus” talk a year or so ago about watching reality programs that are based solely on fighting, cheating, and lying. Thus, I quite watching Housewives of anywhere and some of the cooking shows where a chef yelled constantly. I did pick up Big Brother, however. Did I say that????? I know, I’m disappointed in myself too.

          I don’t, nor ever have, watched daytime programs. Does that make up for the Big Brother admission? In order to feel not completely horrible about the reality TV I watch I established a couple of rules:

     -tape everything and watch it based on MY schedule without
           commercials that take up 20 minutes per hour

     -make sure at least 50% of the reality TV I watch is
          documentary in nature.

     -make sure reality documentaries are really just that and not
          soap operas made up to look like important reporting.

          So, there you have it -- my admission of succumbing to the sometimes mind-numbing activity of watching reality TV. That could be funny or sad -- depending on how you look at it.

Contact me at antoniasseniormoments@hotmail.com or
  Antonia's Senior Moments on Facebook

My Center for Spiritual Living

Click here if you have trouble viewing this video

Contact me at antoniasseniormoments@hotmail.com

Ten Spiritual Lessons from One Slightly Enlightened Senior

  

        It's fun to get a glimpse of how majestically simple life can be. These ten spiritual life lessons have, over the years, helped me embrace this simplicity:

          1.   We are all one. Caring for and honoring    
                    others is caring for and honoring
                    ourselves.

          2.  Life's most valuable lessons can be learned
                  from our pets -- like unconditional love and
                  lack of ego. Observe them closely, and you will see
                  this is true. If they stumble and fall or if you ignore
                  their attempts to garner affection, they don't walk
                  away all embarrassed or miffed. They just move to
                  the next thing in life.

          3.   Get in touch with yourself and listen to your inner   
                    dialogue. The reasons we’re feeling a certain way  
                    can be found inside ourselves, not in people or
                    things that surround us.

          4.   Learning to truly forgive ourselves and others will set us 
                    free.

          5.   The value of friendship far outweighs material wealth.

          6.   To honestly listen with patience and interest to someone
                    else is one of our greatest and most appreciated skills.

          7.   Good health is a precious possession. Treat yourself
                    accordingly.

          8.   Letting go of expectations will allow us to receive life’s 
                    greatest gifts. We can't grab all the good if our hands
                    are all tied up in what good we think we should be
                    getting.

          9.   No one controls us; we are free to be and do all that is
                    possible. Don’t squander your talents.

         10.  Invite others to join your path to happiness by being
                    a joyous person we want to spend time with. A
                    negative attitude is mentally and physically exhausting  
                    and is off-putting.

          I'd love to hear your own set of lessons that have proved to keep your life moving forward in a simple and loving way.

Contact me at antoniasseniormoments@hotmail.com or
  Antonia's Senior Moments on Facebook.