Two weeks ago, I had visions of taking my unemployment benefits case all the way to the Supreme Court to create groundbreaking new law when I heard myself asking, “But do you really want to spend your time and energy that way?” Of course I don’t. I’ve begun identifying what’s really important to me, and there’s barely enough time for those things.
Yesterday I heard the same question when I was trying to decide whether to invite an acquaintance to a workshop I’m attending in June. She’s negative and stresses me out, and I’ve given her several opportunities to show a different side. Of course I don’t want to spend my time inviting her to a workshop. I sent the invitation to my more energizing friends instead.
On the other hand, it’s not enough to realize how I don’t want to spend my time. I also have to ask myself, “Are you really spending your time and energy on what you want to do?” Lately, I’ve spent most of it on things I “should” be doing. We all have these tasks in our lives, but the key is to clear enough space so that at least some of our time is spent doing exactly what we want to do. Otherwise, for me, I eventually find myself doing nothing at all, not even the “shoulds.” Life gets to be like treading water instead of going forward.
So what do I want to do? Wander the fashion district in search of fabric for my next shirt idea.
