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Have you heard the phrase "Time equals Money"? It is very common in our time-starved world yet I disagree with it. I believe time is far more precious than money. Time is limited. There is only 84 600 seconds a day – 24 hours. There is only 7 days a week. Time passes no matter what we do, it is out of our control. Money on the other hand, while may seem finite isn't. There are always ways we can get more money – we can work more, we can sell something, we can borrow, we can buy things on sale, or we can just not buy something. Can you imagine saying, "I don’t have enough time right now so I will use these four hours I saved from last week." Often the perfect gift for someone is not money related but time related. My dad was visiting from overseas this Christmas and I was trying to pick the perfect gift for him. Nothing seemed right, as Dad is very non-materialistic. For the few things he may have liked, he either couldn't take them on the plane or I know so little about fishing I couldn't pick the right thing. So Dad got nothing, but I know this will be one of the best Christmas's ever for my Dad. Why? Because he got to spend time with his children and grandchildren. It has been eight years since I have seen him at Christmas. The first time, my children got gifts from Grandpa that didn't come in the mail. The best gift for Dad this year was The Gift of Time. Time with his loved ones. We often link gifts with money. What will they think if I don't spend any money? Well, how about a compromise. The Gift of Time can come in many forms. Offer babysitting to friends with young children that can't get out much. Rather than a gift, take your best friend or sister out for lunch and spend time together. Spend some one on one time with your children or parents. Give gift certificates for some of the many time saving companies out there – errand, cleaning, shopping, or lawn work – instead of presents. Or do the work yourself – offer to mow the lawn for one summer for your friend who is a single parent. Make a casserole a month for a your brother who is in university! The Gift of Time is definitely one of the best gifts you can give someone! So next time you are giving, think about the recipient and what area of life they are truly time-starved in and provide them a bit of time! Tracy Lyn Moland, B. Ed. is a professional speaker teaching people all over the world about The Gift of Time™. She believes that by shifting our perspective and attitudes about time, we can live our lives in balance. Tracy Lyn is also the author of Mom Management™, Managing Mom Before Everybody Else™ - a book about living our lives based upon our priorities and including ourselves in that list of priorities. She can be reached at www.TheGiftofTime.ca.
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