Take the time to Ponder.

There have been too many times that I have caught myself in a hurried frenzy only to forget actually what it is I was trying to accomplish.  My car seemed to be on auto-pilot and I completely lost track of where I was going and what I was doing. Have you been there?  How often do you enter this vortex of rush and frazzle?  If you are like many people, the last thing you want to hear is “slow down.”  If you had time – maybe, but then you’d probably fill it with other things to get done, right? There’s been a lot written as of late on productivity and getting things done.  The movement is less about doing more, but being smarter about what you are doing.  One way to become smarter about what you are doing is to take some time out and think – or ponder.  John Maxwell, author of many great leadership books, tells a story in his latest about the “thinking chair.”  Really, an actual chair in his office where he can sit and ponder.   Think about big ideas, special projects, what he wants to accomplish for the day.  It’s also a place where time seems to stop. 

It seems contrary to think that time stops when you aren’t doing anything. This isn’t the same type of time when you find yourself – put yourself – in front of the TV and veg out.  That’s when time slipped away.  It doesn’t stop.  The type of time that you spend to ponder – whether it’s in your thinking chair or not, is the type of time that’s going to help you be more successful.  It’s the type of time spent that is going to help you recognize the true Point of Passion.  

The body and mind need time to rebuild.  A runner who runs a race with no end in site can’t possibly succeed.  If you find yourself running – with no end in site, you can’t possible win.  And the losses may be even greater  than not finishing a race.  The deterioration of your health.  The distancing friendships.  Missed recitals and games.  The loss of who you truly are.   

All of this can be avoided with the simple action – choosing to take the time to ponder.  Even top athletes, need an off-season.  You need an off-season.  Maybe it’s just 15-minutes.  Is it worth it?  Read the previous paragraph again if you need a kick.  During this off-season we get to regenerate.  This regeneration of soul and body is the time we actually need to keep going on our race towards the Point of Passion.  

Today, take the time to ponder.  Try just 10-minutes to start with.  This is a time where you just get to sit – and think.  Perhaps you want to focus on a topic that needs a bit more thinking.  Or you just want your mind to run free – it’s okay either way.  After the 10-minutes, if you want to jump to the computer and knock out a couple of the things you were thinking about – great.  Or if you decide you want to pick up the phone and give a call to that person you were thinking about, even better! Or, if you get up, feel refreshed and alive and can recall this feeling regularly – best yet. 

This is the true value of how time stops only to revive and excite you to wanting even more from life.