It’s Valentine week and you’re buying cards and flowers, sending love notes, and doing things to make that someone special feel extra loved. I wonder, did you forget someone? Did you forget the most important person in your life?  Did you forget to valentine you? I almost forgot me this week.

I began Monday morning checking my calendar and all the things I get to do this week and there’s a lot of really great stuff. My week began with a Monday meditation first thing, then coaching, Italian class, phone calls, website updates and finally yoga. And, I put something on my calendar for Tuesday morning…when I typically blog. What was I thinking! I was starting to get that anxious, gripping feeling of the time crunch.

I know there is always enough time to be kind to myself. Always. And, when feeling anxious and squeezed for time, we tend to rush and try to do more as though it were possible to control time. In my experience, I become more scattered and get less accomplished and can be really hard on myself…oops. Fortunately, I’ve learned the best thing to do is manage my energy rather than time and do the complete opposite.

Pause. Breathe. And remind myself there is always enough time and everything that needs to get done will.

Now, you might have a few objections to this idea or think I am just bat-shit crazy. It’s OK, really. I was skeptical when I was first introduced to this idea. And, it works! The very idea of “not enough time” is lack thinking, we get into a fearful state. We become needy, trying to hoard the time we have, and this is a very closed off energy. We’ve triggered our fight or flight reaction and the fight is an internal one. We’re not likely to be very effective at anything in this mode.

Pausing allows us to notice the energy we’re in, and notice how it feels. It’s not a feeling I like or want and my guess is you don’t either. We can change that. Turning to the breath, taking a few long, slow deep breaths, allows the body to return to a calm more relaxed state. Now, it’s possible to reframe your thinking about time. For me, that means reminding myself that I have all the time I need. This returns me to the present moment, to a place of clarity and I always know what to do next. Sometimes, it’s do nothing at all.

Here’s the thing. Time is time. There is never too much or too little. And, you are what you think. If you think you’re short on time, you are. We created this idea that there is never enough time and we can un-create it for ourselves. It’s Valentine’s Week and you are the most important person in your life. Still, I suspect you may be feeling the time crunch with adding Valentine’s activities to your week. Give yourself a little extra love…pause, breathe, and be kind to yourself. There is always enough time.

Happy Valentine’s Day, from my heart to yours,

Photo by Brigitte Tohm on Unsplash