If Time Were No Obstacle

We have moments in our lives when we think of things we want to do or wish that we had done.  These moments sometimes come to us after major events.  I experienced one of these moments yesterday after a busy but otherwise normal day my flight home took off down the runway as usual.  However, after gaining speed and just prior to take-off the pilot aborted and quickly brought the plane to a stop.  Apparently there were problems with the instruments and he believed it was prudent to abort the flight.  As the event was happening I really did not think about all of the possible scenarios and ways that this seemingly small event could have played out.  But later as I sat in my seat on the plane we were moved to it occurred to me that this was really a close call.  My gratitude at that moment was overwhelming and remains so even now.  

For me last night made me wonder about what would happen if the pilot was perhaps lesser skilled and did not effectively manage the abort.  Or worse what if we had actually gotten off of the ground and then experienced a problem.  While I don’t have a fear of flying this event brought to mind a host of possibilities that could have had a significant impact in my life and in the lives of those I love so dearly.

So today after processing all of the the things that happened last night I thought of this question that we once posed to our Time Management program participants.  The question is “If time were no obstacle some day I would..”  The purpose of the question was to get the participants to think about all of the things that they would do someday if they had more time.  I would collect the answers on 3 x 5 cards from the participants as they left for lunch.  At the end of the day I would read the anonymous answers aloud to the class.  I saved quite a few of the answers that I collected from the participants over the years and while many of the answers were things like I would spend less time at the office, many more were poignant and thought provoking.  Looking through those cards today I realized that I have never completed a card answering the question for myself.  So what follows are a few of my answers.

If time were no obstacle someday I would..

Spend a full day talking to each of the people that have touched my life and let them know how much I appreciate their time and attention

Visit with every one of my old friends and offer my apologies were I may have wronged them 

Been kinder to that special friend that really needed me longer than I knew

Listen just a bit longer to hear what my children, my wife, my mother and siblings were really saying to me

Play more often, sleep more than 6 hours per night, and laugh a lot

If time were no obstacle someday I would..

Have spent more time listening to my grandmother tell stories while cooking in the kitchen

Write more letters

Talk to my father about what he thought when he was in his 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s and early 60s

Relax my shoulders, loosen my jaw move my head back and smile more

Talk to that person that had the look in their eyes needing some attention

If time were no obstacle someday I would..

Sit with my family, in an electronic free zone learning to just be together

Stand up to the injustices I see rather than walking quickly by trying not to get involved

Give more of my time to those that could use it well and spend less time with those that waste my time

Experience time by watching what is happening around me

Write lots of books because I had read lots of books

Eat really well and live a more balanced and healthy life

Own less, give away more, and experience the present without worrying about the future

If time were no obstacle someday I would..

Be kinder, gentler and more forgiving of myself and others

I would actually make the apologies I need to make for never really having enough time

After reading all of these things I remind myself that time is not and has never been an obstacle in my life.  The only obstacle is and has always been me.  The choices I make about how I spend my time have always been in my control.  In fact we have copious amounts of time given to us just as it is given to everyone.  What we choose to do with that time is really where the power of living well exists.