How many children will have heard this extract in their school assembly recently? I can still remember the feel of the hard brown, highly varnished, wooden  floor under me as I heard my headmistress read it to us year after year in January.
At the start of this new year, as days and weeks and months stretch out before us…full of potential and possibility, let’s keep in mind that Time is our most precious and valuable asset. It can never be got back again… There is no money in the world that can buy us another go at yesterday.
I have noticed how so many people who work with children do so because they have a big heart and are very caring kinds of people. Consequently their default is to say ‘yes’ and they struggle to say ‘no’. I guess the question is can you care for your time, to the same level you would care for the children around you?
Something I have noticed is that the people who are clear about how they want to use their time seem to get more done, have better boundaries, better health and have an overall better sense of well-being, than those who don’t. Have you noticed that too? By not being really clear about what to do with their time gift, others find that ‘life’ will fill up that time, and they are left feeling tired and unfulfilled, and possibly a bit annoyed and resentful. Children will watch and learn from you this year about how you spend your life, your time.
Do you feel the empowerment of being clear about your use of time each day or week?
Are you an in-time-on-time person?
Do you constantly feel exhausted and stressed trying to fit everyone else’s desires into your time?
Do you never make plans for your time, because you believe you don’t deserve time to yourself?
Do you make plans then always change them?
Do you often say “not now, I haven’t got time”?
If you have children around you, in your family, street, church or classroom, then you will be a role model to them. How you can stick to your plan or agreement to spend time a certain way (or not…) will teach the children around you how much you respect time, respect your self and respect them.