Making Time.

Do you find yourself taking yourself out of the game early? Like before you even hit the field? Allowing yourself the option to quit, to commit and hold yourself to the cultural excuses of I don't have time? No? Me either.

LIES. YES I DO!

I don't even emotionally connect to how or why I am doing it. That little mediocre voice in my head that I hear so consistently that it has become white noise. It is always there so I barely even realize the self talk that is happening in my brain. It's an everyday excuse. I have started to ask myself, "I wonder how much these excuses really cost me"? If I am being real I don't think the cost is measurable. The cost of an excuse is so big and keeps us playing so small.

My excuse is usually I don't have time, and that is accurate, I don't. If I let my life live me, its full everyday. If I don't make the time to do the things that are important than am I really living? If I'm not taking the time to exercise daily, walk my dogs, have dinner with my family...AM I REALLY LIVING? The answer is no. If you are not in control of what you do, make time for, the people you commit to, you are not living your life. Life is happening to you, not for you, and that is no life. So how do you change it?

For me, committing to my morning routine. Reading/writing/devotion/gratitude/coffee before my kids wake up. Those are my first wins daily. Writing doesn't come easy for me but my heart explodes when I am able to put my thoughts on paper. It helps me clear the deck for fresh thoughts and ideas so I really need to get it out. I walk my kids to the bus stop with my running clothes on and hit the pavement. Running 1 mile doesn't take long, gets your body pumping, burns some calories and registers in my brain another win. Then it's time for the wiggle butts that rule our house! One of my favorite routines is walking the girls with Jason in the mornings. It's quiet, peaceful, full of sniffing and snorting. They take these really long snorting pulls and it makes us giggle every time they do it. When that happens we know they have found a sniffing gold mine and to let them enjoy it! Walking them slows me down, reminds me to stop and sniff. To make the time for it. Nola & Stella LIVE for us making the time to walk them along the beautiful bay and all around our neighborhood. They also full expect every human and dog they see to make time to say hello, and guess what, they do.

As I watch people gravitate to the dogs, I am always pulled back to Bob Goff. We joke that I have been "Bob Goffed". The intentionality with how he lives life consumes me. The way his soul ignites by what is next is so enchanting. Most of us, and I mean me, usually lives in a way that what is next is a distraction, but not Bob. It's life for him. The collect calls, the homeless guy that hangs out in his van for a year, he embraces it because he realizes that making time for things that are important is life. Important to Bob is loving people like Jesus does.

Today, make time, whatever it is, just do it. Schedule the date night, line up the babysitter, book the trip, stop checking your email, go have lunch with your kids. If you can not do those things, ask yourself if you are really living? Then ask yourself what your lame excuses are really costing you. Then, MAKE THE TIME.

Peace and Love People.