On a recent visit to the Jewish Museum in New York City, I saw Six Things, a collaborative installation by designers Stefan Sagmeister and Jessica Walsh. The piece included short videos, a sound-activated sculpture, and six maxims taken from Sagmeister’s journal that he says have increased his happiness.

While all six ideas resonated with me, I couldn’t stop thinking about one in particular, “Now Is Better.” It’s so concise and clear. It speaks of mindfulness, being present, realizing that the past happened and the future hasn’t arrived. Sagmeister’s three words remind us to embrace this moment and time.

I’m not saying that the past isn’t relevant or that the future doesn’t matter. The past holds our history, lessons, and memories —both good and bad. The future encompasses our hopes, dreams, fears, and the possibilities that lie ahead. However, we can’t turn back time or fast forward. We can be here right now.

Do you find yourself wanting to return to the past? Are you stuck? Do you find yourself wishing for this time to end so that you can move on to that next thing? Does your future focus detract from or enhance your current experience? What would happen if you focused your energy and thoughts on where you are right now? What would that look like? What would that feel like? Would it change anything?

I am grateful for the past. I look forward to the future. I am happy to be here with you now. Where are you? What are your thoughts now? I’d love to hear your ideas. Join the conversation.

Time Took Care ofOne of my favorite concepts to share is letting go of a something (most frequently paper) because time took care of it. When working with clients, this call to action often becomes the go to phrase for deciding a thing's relevance.

Particularly with old piles of paper, many pieces can quickly be released using this concept. Because time has passed, the item on the paper expired, the event happened, the opportunity to take action isn't available, or it's no longer of interest. When organizing, those papers are easily identified, and usually with great delight and a sense of humor, my clients allow them to exit as they say, “Time took care of.”

It occurred to me that while time took care of  is one of my paper management strategies, the idea is also useful in other situations. For instance, normally I write my blog posts over the weekend or on Mondays so that they're ready to share on Tuesday mornings. However, this particular week, I didn't stick to my plan. I got mad at myself for deviating, and then realized how pointless that was. Time took care of that particular deadline. There was no going back, only forward. So here I am with you, posting later than I’d planned. I've let go of being annoyed with myself over what I didn’t do on time. That no longer matters. I’ve moved ahead to be here now.

Another scenario is with clothing. Perhaps you purchased something, decided to return it, never got to that errand, and now it's too late to return or exchange. Or maybe you bought something for your kid, they never wore it, and they've outgrown that size. What do you say? “Time took care of!” Instead of holding onto something that you don't want or doesn't fit (along with the guilt,) let them go. Donate. Give to a friend. Release yourself from thoughts about what you didn't do.

I know that there are many things you did do. Stop to acknowledge those. Don't waste your time with guilt over what time took care of. Let go. Move on. Focus on now.

What are you ready to let go of? What has time taken care of? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Come join the conversation.

Twenty-nine years. Today my wonderful husband, Steve and I celebrate our anniversary. Time has passed quickly from the day we said our wedding vows to now. Our time has been rich with family, friends, children, adventures, work, fun, growth, joy, laughter and challenges. I am grateful for all of our moments together- our family time, our parenting time, our just us time, and our challenging time. How did it go so fast?

Seconds, minutes, hours, days, months, and years organize the convention of time. However, we remember time by the people, things, and activities we give our attention to. Time is filled with the priorities we set. It’s what we include in our time that gives our life meaning.

Choices are available at every moment. What do you focus on? Who do you focus on? What distracts you? What do you want to include in your life? Neither the clock nor the choices stop. You have an opportunity right now to invite in what’s most important. When you look back twenty-nine years from now, your memories will reflect your decisions.

Have all my choices been good ones? They have not. I’m human, just like you. Maybe I said “yes” to ice cream too often. Maybe I spent a bit too much time engaged in social media. Maybe the words that needed to be said were silent. Yet when I reflect on these years, I know that many of the choices I made were positive. They helped me to create time that was filled with the people I love, the things I enjoy doing, and work that’s meaningful. Without hesitation, the best choice I made was twenty-nine years ago when I said, “I do” to my best friend and Sweetheart.

The time will pass before you know it. What will you say “yes” to? Come join in the conversation. Share your thoughts, your choices, and your memories with us.

Time constantly moves, but sometimes we need to be still. We have to just breathe, not do, and quiet ourselves. Vacations provide a wonderful break to do this, but they can be few and far between. What are the benefits of introducing stillness more frequently? With our busy lives, how can we embrace the pause?

On a recent spring weekend afternoon, I basked in the quiet comfort of our hammock. As I stretched out between two giant oak trees, the birds chirped and the breeze barely blew. Restful greens surrounded me. The light blue sky peeked through a ceiling of trees. The hammock swung ever so slightly. I wrote, read, and thought while appreciating the calming effects of the scenery, sounds, and scents.

The benefits of the quiet were noticeable. I slowed down and felt better balanced. That sense of constantly needing to do and accomplish took a hiatus. Feelings of stress and restlessness went away. Energy was restored. Clarity returned to my thoughts. Gratitude for the surroundings, peacefulness, and pause filled my being.

If you don’t have a hammock what are other ways you can experience the pause? Some like to meditate, pray or do yoga. Others prefer being near water, woods, or mountains. Porch or playground swings can be relaxing. There are many ways to quiet the self.

Time is for doing and it's also for just being. What benefit do you get from pausing? What works for you?