Relish time, don't 'kill time'

I often talk about reframing life experiences—finding the positive in something rather than focusing on the negative.

Recently I read something that encouraged us to reframe some of the phrases and sayings we regularly use. It's a good reminder. The one cited was "killing time." And the article said that we could "relish time" rather than view it as killing time. It said we could "spend it working if that work brings you joy. But you might also spend it relaxing, losing yourself in conversation with a cherished friend, or just blissfully doing absolutely nothing at all."

I really like that idea. Before I was a life coach, I was a journalist. I'm still a word-lover. I know how much our language affects our attitudes and worldview. So it really does matter whether we see time that isn't spent doing something we view as productive as time savored or time killed.

Is it really a waste of time to do nothing? To get down on the floor and play with a child? To talk on the phone with a beloved friend? To just be?

As a young girl growing up on an Iowa farm, I have wonderful memories of lying on my back in the grass watching clouds float across the sky and seeing animals, faces and things in those cloud shapes. I spent plenty of time working as a young girl because there was always lots to do on a farm. But how I loved those moments of free time to play or just do nothing. Those times of using my imagination and creativity no doubt contributed to who I am today.

In what ways do you relish time? What other phrases in your life could use reframing? I'm thinking more about that these days. I'd love to hear what you come up with, and I invite you to share with us in the comment box below.