"The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time." - Bertrand Russell
I came across this wonderful quote last night while flipping through a magazine and boy did it ever strike a chord with me. I am a MASTER at wasting time. If I could have majored in "time wasting" in college, I would have surely graduated Summa Cum Laude. I'm really that good.
The thing about it is that time wasting, for me, has always come with a generous side of GUILT. Guilt for not spending more time with my kids, or keeping my house immaculate, or one of at least a hundred other things that I probably "should" be doing. It's taken me years now to finally realize, that these things that I choose to do are not wasted time at all!
Just because I choose to sit and surf blogs for 2 hours instead of sorting through the mountains of toys cluttering my living room, doesn't make me a time waster. I actually read some great blog entries and have met several new people from all over the country. How great is that?! And I've probably helped make several other people really happy by commenting on their entries, which makes comment-needing co-dependent bloggers (like myself) rejoice! That definitely isn't wasted time!
So, the next time you're doing something fun or relaxing instead of something that you feel you "should" be doing, remember that you're not wasting time. You're simply replacing the task. Now, I'm off to tackle that toy pile. Wish me luck.
7 comments:
I was recently thinking something along these same lines. Consider blogging a hobby...people spend LOTS of time on hobbies. If it's something you enjoy doing and it keeps you sane, then who cares. My thing is I'm trying to keep a balance...I can blog suf for X amount of time if I fold and put away one basket of laundry. My own reward system :) That way I can do my thing and not feel bad about it.
Ahhh, the lovely guilt. I'm with you on that. If you can not feel guilty, can I be part of your not guilty club maybe?
Blogging is definitely my escape. It keeps me sane and so I justify it in the name of my mental health.
Kathy: Welcome! Blogging should definitely be considered a hobby for me. And I like the idea of a reward system. That should help alleviate some of that nasty guilt!
Michelle: You are officially a member of the "not guilty" club! We're the charter members! :-)
Heather: Welcome! I'm with you on the mental health thing. I was much unhappier before I started unleashing my opinions on this blog. Now, all is well in this house again. :-)
I'm with you. We women have a tendency to tell ourselves that if whatever we're doing isn't something we have to do or a chore or something that directly benefits someone else, we're wasting time. I say, phooey! The things I do to "waste time" are the things I enjoy most! And it's like they say - if Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!
Oh, I so agree with Angela. As a SAHM...and homeschooling...I gotta have "me" time. And this is my way of getting in some adult conversation. It's much easier than making a phone call...and it's easier to put on hold for a moment to deal with whatever "emergency" seems to arise when I have something "important" to discuss with my bloggy buddies.
Blog without guilt :-)
Angela & Kat: "Me" time has definitely hit the front burner in this house. Thankfully, hubby is pretty supportive of it, because he knows that "when mama's unhappy, ain't nobody happy"! The guilt is officially banished from this house!
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