Are we spending our time wisely?

In a society that is constantly offering us many things to do and putting competing demands on our time, it can be hard to find time for the rest we need.  We talked about the idea that time is a gift from God, and that he wants us to experience non-active periods - time to be with God, time for renewal, time to let down our guard and just be. It's challenging to find this time in our lives if we aren't conscious about making it happen.  As one way to be more conscious of how we spend our time, we charted the ups and downs of one day from the past week to look at how we felt throughout the day, what was enriching to our spirits, and what experiences were a drain on our mental and physical resources.

For some, spending time with others correlated with "high" points, while for others time alone was more important.  Some found transitions from one space to another the most difficult.  We talked about what we would do with six extra hours in the day, and found it interesting that for most of us, these extra hours wouldn't necessarily improve our quality of life - it's more about taking the time we have and making the most of it.  Finally, we discussed ways that we can make small changes to do just that - perhaps studying in a different place, leaving for class a few minutes earlier, getting to sleep at an earlier hour, or making an effort to connect with friends and loved ones.  What can you do to improve the quality of the hours in your day and find quiet moments to connect with the holy?