Choose Wisely


It’s Saturday morning. I’m sitting in bed, reading a book while drinking coffee (because what’s a morning without coffee, right?). I live in a block of flats and outside my window, my neighbour’s kids are playing. I listen on as another neighbour hangs her laundry (the washing line also happens to be outside my window), and talks about how hot it is today. I stop reading my book for a minute to do two things. First, I wish that I could mute the sounds outside so that I can focus on my book. I quickly realise that I can’t, so I let that thought go. Second, I realise how awesome it is that I am in a season in my life where I can justify sitting in my bed at 9:30 on a Saturday morning, reading a book.

I mean, sure, I also have laundry to do. I could probably also be outside playing, because you’re never too old to play. But on this Saturday morning I could choose to stay in bed and read a book. Choice is a powerful thing, very powerful. Every choice writes a story about your priorities in that moment. Every choice paints a picture of your beliefs, and to some extent what you thought you were capable of doing in that moment. A couple of weeks ago, I read a quote that made me realise that sometimes we get away with not doing a lot of things by saying that we don’t have time for them. It could be true. But we all know that we only make time for things that are important to us. Things that are a priority.

Earlier I credited my choice of staying in bed and reading a book to the season that I am in. With every new season your priorities and the way in which you spend your time, changes. I’m in my early 20’s. No major responsibilities yet. No dependants yet. No longer in school. I have had to find new ways to spend my time. This is the season for me to invest in myself and pour into myself. This is the season for me finally do the things that I want to do. I can be as selfish as I want with my time, because once I have kids I can’t exactly choose to snooze my alarm for an extra two hours while my kids fend for themselves.

The Cambridge Dictionary defines priority as “something that is very important and must be dealt with before other things.” On a Saturday morning it might be a priority for someone to start cleaning their house and to do laundry as soon as they wake up. Me, on the other hand, my cleaning times are late afternoon and night time. It’s not that cleaning is not a priority for me, I just prefer to do it later in the day when I have more energy because I’m just nocturnal like that. Why did y’all think I love coffee so much? It helps me to survive mornings. Anyway, back to priorities. It’s okay if your priorities are not the same as those close to you. Who you are and what you value, will determine what your priorities are. Do not make somebody else’s priorities your own, because who is going to tend to yours?

I say all of this to say that we all need to carve out some time to sit by ourselves, maybe with some music playing in the background. Figure out where you are, and what your priorities are at the moment. Look at what you spend most of your time doing, and you’ll quickly see where your priorities lie. If you don’t like it, then guess what. You can change it. Unless if your kids can’t fend for themselves, then you can’t keep snoozing your alarm every morning. I’m sorry. Another thing to do, is to be grateful for where you are today. Don’t rush to see what tomorrow has in store. Check your priorities, count your blessings, and keep it moving.

Matthew 6: 34 “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

I am an Occupational Therapist by profession, but I have many roles that bring meaning to my life. In short, I love people, books and love.

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