Today I was awakened by my alarm clock and the LAST thing I wanted to do was get out of bed. It is always miraculously comfortable in the morning! Reluctantly, I staggered out of bed and began to get ready for the day. As I was going through my normal morning routine I thought through everything I needed to get done for the day. I thought to myself, “perfect, I will have just enough time to accomplish everything on my list.” With a sense of exhausted determination, I walked out the door and drove to the office.
I sat down on my throne – aka. Delipadated office chair – and began working. Everything was hunky-dory. I was crossing tasks off my list in a surprisingly timely manner. Everything was going according to plan. But not for long.
I got a phone call around 10am and was informed that there was an urgent matter that needed immediate attention. My hopes for the day were crushed in an instant.
I thought to myself, “I have so much more to do.” “I don’t have time for this.” “I’m too busy.”
Ever been there? You have made for yourself a perfect road map for your day and then the wind blows and rips it right out of your hands. A lot of us, myself included, structure our days hour by hour and, often, minute by minute. We don’t have time for anything extra. Someone wants to stop and talk to us but we say, “sorry, I’m in a hurry.” Someone needs our help but we say, “No, I don’t have time for that.”
Unfortunately, for our perfect plan, things always come up. Stuff happens that requires immediate attention and we have to put our perfect plan by the wayside. How do we respond? Well, for me, I often become frustrated, irritated, agitated, and any other “tated” you can think of!
Here is my point. What if we, I, structured our days differently? What if we planned for unexpected inconveniences? Therefore, when someone wants to talk, we can. When someone needs our help, we can take time to help. When we see that beggar on the side of the road, or at an intersection, or outside of a business establishment, maybe we stop to say “Hi” and treat them like a normal human being. I would argue that we could better show love and patience to people if we penciled in time everyday for so called “unexpected inconveniences.” This might just become the most important part of your day!