Take the Time

"All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us." - J.R.R. Tolkien, Lord of the Rings

If you know me, you know that I'm obsessed with the Lord of the Rings. I was introduced to the series by the original trilogy and branched out to the books, the histories, games, and so on.

The quote above is my favorite, which I have adopted as a personal motto. But what does this mean to me? I'll tell you.

When I was younger, the meaning was straightforward enough. You're given a certain amount of time in your life, and it's up to you what you're going to do with it. The line was spoken in the movies when Frodo, the protagonist, tells his mentor that he wishes that the Ring of Power had never come to him and that all of the events that took him from his quiet life had never happened.

There are a few events from when I was growing up that I would equate to his feeling. When my parents divorced, I was forced to change from my comfortable, predictable experience and become the rock for my younger siblings when our whole world was falling apart. I had to learn how to navigate the new existence of moving to a new state and between my parents' houses, how to protect my siblings while meeting new significant others and experiencing new ways of living. I'd always had those older sister instincts to protect and watch over my siblings, but this was a new level that I never thought that I'd have to contend with.

I very well could have retreated into myself, worrying about nothing but my own well-being, but that wasn't the way that I was raised. So I pushed myself to continue being the best that I could be, learning to make new friends and make new plans for my future in the new place that I found myself in.

Looking back, I realize that it was just the first of many things that would lead to positive additions to my life. I would never have met my best friend if we hadn't moved, and I literally can't imagine how my life would be without her sarcasm, wit, and support. Another friend I met in college was the gateway to many new experiences, such as going to New York to see Broadway shows for the first time, as well as helping me to get into many of the jobs I've held as an adult.

In college, figuring out how to use my time was a new challenge. Being homeschooled gave me a lot of freedom when it came to using my time but having to stick to deadlines and possibly have many things due within a couple of days was new to me. The perfectionist in me wanted to have all A's (trigonometry ruined that for me, but I made it a good year and a half), but also wanted to try things that I hadn't been able to in high school, such as theatre and ballroom dancing. I made it work, though, gaining lots of new skills, experiences, and friends in the process.

Becoming an adult was a whole new set of challenges, pushing me to lean on friends and family for support. Learning to use my time as a teacher was crucial to my success and my sanity. My first year of teaching, I brought so much work home every day and even worked on the weekends. As I got more experienced, however, I learned both how to plan better and get work done during my planning periods, so work didn't get done when I was off the clock. This led to more time for me to pursue other things, such as writing and reading.

Even now, in my ninth year of teaching, I find myself being better with being purposeful with my time. I plan solely at work, and I use my off time to write and work on my social media for writing, as well as reading, exercising, and spending time with my boyfriend. If I had tried that a few years ago, I would have found myself perpetually behind in nearly all aspects of my life.

I feel very fulfilled with how I've decided what to do with the time that has been given to me, despite setbacks and frustrations and things happening to me.

If you take anything from my words, I hope it is this; don't waste your precious time complaining or worrying about how things are. Use the time that you have to do what makes you better, happier, smarter, and healthier. It will be better for you in the long run.