Give Yourself A Gift

Take Pen to Paper: Edition 164

Holiday Greetings!

It’s such a busy time of year that we often forget about a special person in our lives.

Do you know who it is? It’s yourself!

The holidays seem to bring extra everything - cleaning, shopping, cooking, decorating, and/or gathering. It’s easy to get caught up in the season and forget about ourselves.

In addition to using the two strategies I wrote about in Take Pen To Paper: Edition 161, I decided to give myself a gift.

A Gift Worth More Than It Costs

There are gifts are easy to come by and cost nothing. And they are worth more than you can imagine. That’s the kind of gift I am giving myself.

I’m giving myself the gift of time.

I decided to forego art lessons this month and give myself two or more free hours a week.

Don’t get me wrong. I love going to art lessons, but even the things we love can eat away at our time. Art is one of the activities I plan my week around. My other two commitments are volunteering at schools. I really hate to leave them short-handed this time of year. So art it is. It will be there in January.

I haven’t abandoned art for a month. I have at least three unfinished projects. Maybe I will get to those.

Filling Up Gifted Hours

What will I do with my extra time?

It doesn’t matter. It just feels good to have it.

I’m not fooling myself. Those precious hours will fill up fast, but I’m enjoying every moment.

• No more finishing up at the last minute. I have time!

• I have two books I am almost finished reading. I have time!

• A last-minute sleepover for my granddaughters? I have time!

• Get ahead on my newsletters? I might have time.

Maybe I’ll simply hold a steaming mug of hot cocoa in my hands, sit with my feet up, warm and cozy in my house, and just watch it snow.

Giving myself some extra time costs nothing. All I have to do is reap the benefits.

This might be the best gift I’ve ever given anyone.

Snow all around. Photos by S.G.S. Abel

7 Days, 7 Thoughts on Gratitude and Good:

1. It can be a good thing to take a break from something you do to gain some extra time for yourself. ⌚

2. I’m grateful for having extra time to relax and spend with family and friends.

3. The gift of time is a gift you can give someone other than yourself. Here’s how.

4. I’ve been enjoying these gifts from bemorewithless.com. One email “gift” for each day of December. It’s only December 11th, so it’s not too late to treat yourself and/or a friend. 🎁

5. Having extra time gives you an opportunity to slow down. Life can be a little less stressful.

6. It’s a good thing to remember that it’s not how much you spend on a gift, but the thought behind it. 💭

7. We don’t always get snow in December, but this year we are already up to five inches with more to come. ^❄️☃️

Thank you for reading. Do you feel like you need a little extra time?

Until next time,

💙

Susan

What would you do if you had extra time? Leave a comment and let me know.

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I have a 2nd newsletter about journaling. It’s a great way to learn about journaling, especially if you are new to the habit. If you are interested or know someone who would be, check it out at From The Pen’s Nib: A Commonplace Book About Journaling.