RockOm

By Trevor Harden, trevor@RockOm.net

How we use or invest our time says a lot about what we value. Time can be utilized positively in worthwhile projects, compassionate outreaches or spiritually-enhancing activities. It can equally be piddled away or even overtaken by mundane, daily tasks. Sometimes, though, just knowing this isn't enough. It's just too damn easy to take the path of least resistance and let the time fly by without any regard to how we're spending it.

So for those times when you need some extra motivation, here are a few songs that might give you the "juice" you need. We invite and encourage you to leave additional song suggestions in the comments.

SONG: "One Day Too Late" by Skillet (Listen)

EXCERPT: "So much to do and so much I need to say / Will tomorrow be too late? / Feel the moment slip into the past / Like sand through an hourglass / In the madness I guess I just forget / To do all the things I said"

REFLECTION: Procrastination seems to be in our blood. We all do it to varying degrees, but it just seems to be inherent to continually put off what we don't feel like doing. What are you putting off today that could just be worked through and completed? Spend a moment contemplating why you're afraid or unable to tackle the task, and you just may see that putting it off is more painful than getting it done. "Tomorrow may be one day too late."

SONG: "Time" by Pink Floyd (Listen)

EXCERPT: "You are young and life is long and there is time to kill today / And then one day you find ten years have got behind you / No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun"

REFLECTION: Much like the last song, these lyrics are hinting at the slow creeping of time. In looking back and seeing how much time has passed, we discover the feelings of either joy and satisfaction or of regret and disappointment. And yet, today is the only day we have. Don't beat yourself up over lost time, but at the same time realize that today is part of tomorrow's past. Live today so that when you look back upon it, it brings you the satisfaction in knowing you it to its fullest potential.

SONG: "Life Means So Much" by Chris Rice (Listen)

EXCERPT: "Every day is a bank account / And time is our currency / So nobody's rich, nobody's poor / We get 24 hours each / So how are you gonna spend? / Will you invest, or squander? / Try to get ahead? / Or help someone who's under?"

REFLECTION: As an experiment, cut out 24 small pieces of paper, representing the 24 hours of the day. Then tonight, before you go to bed, allot those 24 "bills" to what you're going to "spend" them on tomorrow. On each paper, write how you're going to spend that hour: "Spend uninterrupted quality time with my family," "Finish up the blueprints," "Call my hurting friend," "Rest and recharge through sleep," or otherwise. In the same way that credit cards and electronic transfers don't give us the same experience as spending cold hard cash, perhaps experiencing a tangible expression of your "time currency" may be a valuable experiment.

SONG: "Cat's In the Cradle" by Harry Chapin (Listen)

EXCERPT: "My son turned ten just the other day / He said, 'Thanks for the ball, Dad, come on let's play / Can you teach me to throw?', I said 'Not today / I got a lot to do', he said, 'That's ok'"

REFLECTION: Relationships are one of the essential pillars of life. The oft quoted John Donne quote comes to mind, "No man is an island unto himself." Therefore, in our quest to spend our time wisely in meaningful work, let us not neglect those around us who are in need of our love and attention. No matter how "spiritual" or meaningful the activity or task is at hand, if we ignore our friends, families, and neighbors in the process, then what are we really accomplishing?

Your Turn: What songs motivate you as pertains to the use of your time?