"The sun, with all those planets revolving around it and dependent on it, can still ripen a bunch of grapes as if it had nothing else in the universe to do." --Galileo

As humans we have the ability to spend time, waste time, lose time, make time and, my personal favorite, stretch time. When we stretch time it becomes almost slow motion. I know you have experienced this. Remember a time when you were at your best - you worked really hard and accomplished a large achievement (maybe an exam you took, promotion you sought or course you completed...) After you were done, do you remember decompressing in triumph for a few hours or perhaps even a few days? In that period of time, things happened slower, didn't they?

You noticed the beautiful day outside the window that until then you had not been able to see. You walked a little slower on your way to and from your daily tasks. Perhaps you smelled the coffee brewing down the hall and now you could afford the time to go and enjoy a leisurely cup, so you did. Your focus shifted from the all-absorbing task, to yourself, your actual life.

When we have the opportunity to focus on appreciating the moment, time is elongated. So how come we only seem to do this after realizing a major achievement? How come we treat such moments like prized rewards as if we only deserve it as a rare pat on the back? Why not give this to ourselves more consistently? Why not practice it as a short break from whatever we are doing?

I'm talking about a form of gratitude I suppose. When we practice momentary, focused gratitude for the details of our lives, time stretches.

If you were running 50mph straight toward a brick wall, you'd slow down before you got there, right? Well isn't our grave the physiological equivalent of a brick wall? No matter how many impressive projects we complete, the end result is the same for each of us. So why are we in such a rush to get there?

The busier we are, the faster time goes by. I invite you to stretch the time of your life by sprinkling in a few moments of focused gratitude wherever you can. You won't regret it.

Deirdre Maigread McEachern is an experienced writer, speaker and personal coach who works one-on-one to help her clients find their ideal career and create more balance in their lives. You can contact Deirdre by email, at 207-439-4280, or visit her site, VIP Coaching.

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