Thinking Time

We’ve all had a few months to think about life, politics, our jobs, our families and what we are missing out on while being confined to our homes. When was the last time that you were stopped dead in your tracks to really think about your life? Most of us probably could answer that with “never.” For the rest of you—congratulations on taking time for yourself and your families in “thinking” about what really matters in your life. You’ve been able to time-block thinking time—to focus on family, your dreams, your future.

What a concept: “thinking time.” There was actually a podcast I listened to last year of an interview with a business professional who scheduled thinking time. It wasn’t some young millennial. It was Keith Cunningham—check him out. Thinking time is not a new concept or even something radical—it’s something our busy lives have kept us from. Our slight obsession with technology, busy schedules, television, meetings and appointments fills our time, but it may not fulfill us.

So, what did you spend the last few months thinking about?

Were you self-contained and self-quarantined? Did you impose self restrictions in your thinking, trapping yourself with worrisome, negative and fearful thoughts? It’s OK if you did. You can’t control your thoughts or your feelings. You CAN control your reactions to them, though. Regardless of what happened in your life recently, you still have a choice on how you react and the actions you take going forward. It’s kind of a really cool realization that you have the power to shape your future—even when you have to wear a mask.

Wearing a mask is not the most pleasant thing—I’m not really enjoying the distance it is literally and figuratively putting between me and everyone else. However, when I think about it, it’s not the worst thing that could happen. I bet you will agree with me too that you’ve had a day worse than this… something that happened that changed your life. Usually it’s that day when you classify all events from your life either before or after “That Day.” And it’s true, maybe for some people, that “That Day” has happened during this quarantine period. I’m sorry.