⏰Time⏰

⏰ "live for today as tomorrow isn’t promised"⏰

Hello again to the Gen X Lounge, it's so good to have you back!

Do you like the title? I really appreciated this comment added by one of our blog followers last week! It sparked a thought in my mind - ⏰Time⏰

Time is so precious as none of us know how much we have, it's not something we can purchase or save, like a voucher to cash in when we want. Ultimately time is not something we have control over.

I do understand, yes "live for today", as long as we are not making a negative impact on others or our environment, this could be an ideal way to go about living our lives. Sometimes it's simply not practical and we benefit from planning ahead, like a holiday for example. Many steps happen to make it possible to exit your routine and organise a trip. Logistics such as a pet sitter, cancelling a weekly delivery veg box and for many of us time to save up our hard-earned pennies.

Since 2020, the travel industry as a whole has seen an enormous shift in trends. I have witnessed this first-hand, in our family fun company Lanzarote Retreats. In previous years we always had a huge surge of new reservations after the festive holidays. Families and friends who managed to spend more time together would plan their trips for the year ahead. On returning to their routine they would quickly secure their stay, therefore have something really fun to look forward to. Now however we see people are booking very last minute and are happy to go with the flow and select a holiday home from a limited choice. People have realised it's easy to buy a flight last minute and there is always some accommodation still available.

I do wonder, are they missing out on the best part....... the anticipation and enjoyment of looking forward to their trip away?

When you have little time to plan ahead there is less time to get excited. Like most things in life, moderation is key and it's good to have some long-term plans in the calendar and still be flexible and spontaneous. That way you have the best of both worlds. 😄

I find it fascinating how the concept of time is difficult to judge. When we are working on a task we don't particularly like, an hour seems to drag on forever, yet time spent where we are joyful and fulfilled can fly by so quickly. I found this last week when I took a day out just for gardening. It was not in my usual routine and I fully embraced spending the day in nature, breathing in fresh mountain air and soaking up a little sun.

Ultimately our past time is just a perception in our memory.

Do you remember, way back when, as a child, waiting for the summer holidays to arrive seemed to take forever? As we get older (we Gen Xers are certainly relating to this) a year passes by so quickly. No sooner have I packed away my Christmas tree, to find myself planning for the next Christmas holidays.

Living in Lanzarote certainly messes with our calendar year, as it's generally warm all year round, so we have no seasons to speak of. No leaves fall in autumn, no frosts in winter and not many trees bud in spring.

So how can we make the most of our mysterious time? Do you have any advice or tricks? Feel free to share your thoughts, this is your opportunity and space to do so.

This week for the first time I noticed some very faint writing virtually hidden in a picture at my home. It states: every day is a Gift that's why it's called the Present. Amazing how I missed this detail by not being Present!

Reflecting on last week's blog, would you like to take part in a challenge?

I would like to offer you a 7-day challenge, the chance to consider yourself as a priority and give yourself permission to take some "Time Out" just for You.

It can be as simple or as complicated as you like, it need not be expensive or even very time-consuming. Consider how long you would like to give yourself each day and what time of the day works best for you. Commitment is the most challenging part!

It can be a walk without distractions. You could make tea, find a quiet spot maybe in a garden where you can sit and take in the view for 10 minutes, or even dig out your mat to stretch, meditate and energise your body.

What do you enjoy? What gives you happiness? What could you add this week to enhance your day? I invite you to take this opportunity and think about what you would like to choose. Maybe if you work from a busy schedule it could be easier if add it to your planner so it's not forgotten!

To give others inspiration I encourage you to share in the comments what you decide to build in for yourself this week. What have you chosen to add to your day? Has this time helped you reflect or created any inspirations and how did it make you feel?

                                                                 Catch up soon X💜X