“Time is the fire in which we burn.”
Dr Soren, Star Trek Generations.

One of our biggest challenges in life is time.
We assume we always have more time. That is often not the case. It’s easy to put off negative things, I can understand that. But we also delay positive things in life. We think, there is still time. But we cannot ever know that to be true.

I write this from a sun lounger by the pool on holiday in Gibraltar. I’ve done alot of personal goal setting on this trip, which means I have a plan and a sense of focus for the next twelve months. It has inevitably also lead to alot of self reflection in my journal too. I don’t like to put things off. I may ultimately miss something positive by delaying something for short term relief.

I will give you an example. I pretty much only travel solo on holidays. Twenty years ago, I didn’t go on holiday very much. It was not a cost issue, but the friends I had at the time would not welcome me to come with them. If I suggested planning or arranging a holiday those former friends wouldn’t be interested. That is when I started to do solo trips.

I realised I was missing out, as time passed I felt more need to act. Rather than pursue a holiday with those people (we are no longer friends but that is a different story), I found the courage to travel by myself. I was already strong and independent. Before I knew it I was booking flights for a month in Vancouver, Canada.

I was in my early twenties on the other side of the world. But I embraced it. I got to see everything at my own pace, I found joy on my trip. I also learned I am not alone, just by myself.
My point today is to ask you to take a moment to think about your life. Not just the daily routine:

What brings you joy?
Name one new thing you want to try?
What would you like to achieve?

A big part of my journaling on this holiday has been gratitude related. Acknowledging the good in life and expressing my love. I see where I’ve come from, I love my life at home and I’ve created a positive plan for the year ahead of me.

Time can be the fire in which we burn. But you can also extinguish flames.