Excuse Me.

Excuse Me

As a kid, I wished I had one of those stop watches – you know the ones? You hit stop and time stands still for everyone except you. I remember thinking how great that would be. The things I would get done.

As a kid, it would be the homework and the cramming for that all important test, then show up the next day, ace it and come off as some sort of genius.

Now as an adult, the extra hours I could grab each morning before I rise from my pit and go to work. The freedom to meet deadlines without the constant bother from friends, family, bosses.

Again, those people would be so amazed by what I had achieved and how I had done it (come to think of it, it’s possible that some people I know, may already own such a watch).

Its only now that I feel that this magical wonder watch is not so much of a blessing.

I mean for starters it’s not as though I don’t age. Every time I hit stop, the people around me enter a cryogenic beauty sleep as I, the weary traveller, trundle on with my day’s duties without ever questioning why.

It feels like the watch would be used to compensate for all the crappy decisions that I made in life!

If I truly enjoy my job and the people around me then what is to be gained by purposefully avoiding that?

Thing is, many people don’t enjoy their jobs and will make excuses as to why they do what they do, or they can’t stand the people that they spend the majority of their time around but are quite adept at conjuring reasons why they engage with these negative influences on a daily basis.

It’s not time that needs to stop, it’s the excuses.

Recognise that behind the smokescreen of ‘I can’t’ lies a scared trembling heart of ‘I won’t’, and that heart pumps perfectly crafted made-up reasons why ‘you won’t’ round your mind, till they seem perfectly feasible.

If you really want to take time out then do it whilst the world is active and going on around you.

Just observe.

Appreciate the people, choices and situations that enrich and help make you the happiest most powerful version of yourself and also recognise the self-inflicted cancer you subject yourself to – and know that this is entirely your choice.

If you hate your job then get a different one.

If you don’t like being in the company of certain people then don’t!

The people you naturally gravitate toward are also the people who are attracted to you.

This was written in a café, on a beautiful sunny day.

I have hugged a friend, helped an elderly lady with her breakfast tray, smiled at several people and had several smiles and compliments in return. For 15 minutes I was truly part of life, and I smile in eager anticipation for what the next fifteen minutes has in store.