More Important Than Money

Our children our wonderful procrastinators and have yet to grasp some of the essential elements of time management.  Several days ago, my husband was trying to explain the why's of good time management to son, Andrew.   This is what I heard.  "Andrew, a lot of people think that money is the most important thing but it's not.  The most important things are time and love.  Without time and love, money doesn't really matter."  Bravo, Dad.

I thought about these short sentences during my Just 10 this morning.  My mind was flooded with thoughts.  I thought about some of the students I see everyday.   They all seem to want someone to take time to listen to them.  I hear students wishing that their family sat down to meals together.  Many just want time to talk with their parents but so many parents are working, spending time at the computer, spending time with partners or younger children.  Many teenagers don't value themselves.  They don't feel important.  They don't feel loved.  When it's all said and done, they want more time with their family or at least time with someone who feels like family.   Many of the choices they make are motivated by the need to belong, to feel that someone or some group cares about them.  If their families don't take time to be with them, they will find someone who will.  That someone or something isn't always the best choice. 

These teenagers don't realize that they have been giving me a gift.  In the brief time, I'm with them, they are teaching me so much about the value of time and love.  They have shown me how important it is for me to make a commitment to give my own children and the people in my life, my time, as a gift.  They've shown me that time without love is not a gift at all.

The beauty of Just 10 is that it is my daily reminder.  The Just 10 guidelines keep me on track.  I still derail on occasion but it gets easier every day.  When I devote time to another, time to really listen and to honor who they are without judgment or criticism, I discover that underneath the faults and rough edges, is a person I like knowing. 

If we could learn to see each others' strengths instead of each others' weaknesses, the world would be a much kinder and gentler place.  Just 10 really can change the world.