ONE HOUR A DAY

Just one hour a day -- just for ourselves. Is that too much to ask? One hour. There are 24 of them in each day. We give our hours away to everyone else. Why not begin today and give ourselves a gift of one hour.

Okay - I can hear you resisting already. "But I hardly have time to _____ (fill in the word of your choice here)! How can I even give myself five minutes?"

And yet, if we don't put ourselves first -- at least some of the time, our little Energizer Bunny selves are going to walk right into a wall and stop.

Let me suggest dividing your hour into smaller segments; but let no segment be less than 15 minutes. I mean, REALLY, I know we each can find a 15 minute block for ourselves each day, and then another......all you need is four of them.

For me, I decided (yesterday) to give myself this gift. It could be in the category of a new year's resolution, but I believe if we are serious about change or resolutions, we start immediately, not wait until Monday or January 1, but right now, this moment.

I divided my hour into two 30 minute parts. For 30 minutes a day, I will saddle up my two pups (Lex, the head-strong, opinionated Pekeapoo who is more Peke than Poo, although there is a lot of that too; and Ms. Ruby, my full figured French Mastiff -- photos available on my Facebook page in the album: Dancing with Woofs -- featuring foster and rescue dogs) and head out for 30 minutes of walking. I have to admit -- the hardest step is the one out the front door. My first choice is always to retreat to my study and bury my face in a book -- but, the moment my body, mind and spirit hit the great outdoors, I am awestruck by the beauty of nature all around me and from there it is easy.

My next 30 minutes is devoted to Meditation and Automatic Writing -- perhaps more on this another day. This is much easier for me because it comes more naturally. It is a treat that I used to put last, after I finished all of my "to-do's" -- but now I am promising to give myself this treat prior to running out of steam (and running into a wall with my drums beating their last beat.)

One of my buddies divided her hour into 3 twenty minute sessions: 20 minutes to learn Spanish, 20 minutes to play her mandolin and 20 minutes to write. Another decided to take her hour in one shot of exercise.

Give yourself One Hour A Day -- and tell me what you want to do with it. Schedule it in your day planner. Tell your friends and family that this is Your Time -- make it sacred. It will begin our practice of bringing the sacred into our lives, moment by moment.

Wishing you a beautiful hour. SHALOM