Be Present

Well turned out we couldn't have the dog in our apartment.  We've been really bummed about it, though it is probably for the best.  I don't know if I am ready to have a dog. 

Last night we had a dinner/bible study and the topic of discussion really was illuminating for me.  We talked about time and being present and productivity. Our culture really thinks of time as a commodity- something you can waste or spend or give and we have come to almost idolize productivity (doing more in less time).  It was interesting to realize how much of our identity we put in our productivity.  I was amazing to discover that is exactly why I was so depressed after classes got done and I didnt' have a job and my thesis work wasn't going very quickly.  It seemed like everyone else I knew was being so much more productive.  It is important to not become so wrapped up in productivity that you miss opportunities to build relationships with people or just gloss over other things in life that really are important to slow down and enjoy.  Or some people you can tell that even when you are talking to them their brain is thinking about their grocery list or the report they need to write (for me a lot of times when I'm doing something fun I feel guilty like I should be doing work). Being fully present to what you are doing in a given moment is so valuable. 

So my goal for the next while is to try and block my time out better, so that I have working time, and social time and that way I can be more present when I am on leisure time instead of constantly feeling like I should be working on stuff.  I challenge you to find out what you need to do to be available for the important things in life.  It may be exactly the opposite of my goal, maybe you need to make goals to work less and set aside time for coffee breaks or something else.  Let me know if you set a goal and we can keep each other accountable!