Valuing Your Time

[Written Especially for Young People]

KATHARINE WARREN KING

In school and college life it often becomes a problem to find enough time for needed study, desirable activities, and recreation. Overemphasis upon any one of these is apt to result in neglect of the others. A helpful way to find enough time and to distribute it wisely is to value it. When this is done, none will be wasted.

In his Commencement address to a graduating class a speaker once remarked that many of us waste much of our time in making our own movies, and that we are very careful to cast ourselves for the parts of hero or heroine! We can make good use of our time by studying instead of thinking about studying; by actively participating in useful activities where we are needed, instead of imagining the part we should like to take in them.

When reading of the lives of men and women who have contributed much good to humanity, we find that they valued their time, and did not waste it. They gave it freely where needed. This shows that by entertaining constructive, right ideas such people protected their thinking from vain, idle thoughts. It is often remarked that when something is to be done quickly and well it is wise to ask a busy, successful person to do it, such a one having learned to think and act speedily and accurately.

A student of Christian Science who had been a daydreamer and a builder of air castles was much helped in overcoming this habit by reading an article in "Miscellaneous Writings" by Mrs. Eddy entitled "Improve Your Time" (p. 230), in which, speaking of successful people, she says, "They spend no time in sheer idleness, in talking when they have nothing to say, in building air-castles or floating off on the wings of sense: all of which drop human life into the ditch of nonsense, and worse than waste its years." Thus becoming more mentally alert, the student found it easier to value time and so bring more of good into daily living. It is natural to want to protect anything that we value, and Christian Science gives us this means of protecting our time by teaching us how to reject the idle, valueless thoughts that seek entrance into our mental homes. We have to become our own censors and exclude suggestions of material satisfaction and selfishness by entertaining right ideas, such as love, unselfishness, justice, honesty, reverence, moral courage. As we try to realize and prove that at all times and in all circumstances we reflect divine Love and divine intelligence, we shall be led to apportion our time wisely for needed study and activities. Like the pieces of a picture puzzle, events will fit into their respective places.

We can be much helped in having orderly, happy days by beginning them with the study of the Lesson-Sermons lovingly and wisely provided for us in the Christian Science Quarterly. When starting on an automobile trip an efficient driver sees that the car is in every way well prepared. And as we go forth inspired by our study of Bible references and the passages from "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by our Leader, we shall be well prepared for the progress of the day, and by applying what we have read, we shall go through it happily and effectively.

In his wide experience with people of different races the Apostle Paul must have realized the importance of rightly valuing time and the opportunity for true thinking when he wrote to the Philippians, "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."

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