I was talking with someone in a bookstore a couple weeks ago and the topic turned to losing weight. She was sharing how she knew that she needed to eat right and workout, but she just didn’t have the time. She had two kids, a part-time job and a husband— this kept her very busy. She even went as far as to share her daily schedule with me to prove her point. Yes, she was very busy, but that really isn’t the point. You know why? Because the truth is that we make time for things in life that are a priority to us.
I’ll bet that there’s part of her that really doesn’t want to exercise. Maybe she’s stuck in a rut or maybe she enjoys sleeping in late in the morning. It could be that it just doesn’t bother her enough to take action. On an intellectual level, she knows that it would be healthy for her to start an exercise regime. However, on an emotional level, she just isn’t ready to take action. Regardless of why, the fact that she’s busy is nothing more than an excuse. Making the change is just not that high on her priority list.
When I walked in my backyard 30 minutes ago, I was shocked to see my tomato plant wilting. The leaves on the bottom half of the plant were turning brown and it was slightly tilting to the right. My hydrangea was wilted and the flowers were curling up. The petunias that always thrive in their beds didn’t look so hot. When I walked around front, I noticed that my two pots with planted begonias by the front door were beyond hope. I was stunned.
I immediately looked for reasons this could have occurred. Is it possible that there’s something wrong with the soil? Could it be that I bought “bad plants” this year? It must be the extreme heat that’s affecting my plants. Yes, that’s it. I decided that it must be the heat. I’m sure that the plants are just getting way too much sun.
I went back to my desk to work and then it occurred to me. Maybe I was just like my new friend in the bookstore. I’m unhappy with my circumstances in life, so I’m searching for something that takes the heat off of me. If I blame it on the plants, then I don’t need to take responsibility for the consequence. The bottom line is this, the plants were dying because I wasn’t giving them the care and time that they needed. I wasn’t making my plants a priority.
I guess it always goes back to the same point— the way to move ahead in life is by being honest with YOU. By being truthful about the issues with my horticulture, I’m able to face the fact that I need to reassess what I want to make important in my life. So what about you? Have you been guilty of that overused excuse that you don’t have time? Is it honestly a priority for you? Give it some though
