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It's About Time
Ruth Wong
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Slowing down can make life full
Time sure seems to be speeding up; this new year is passing so quickly! With so much to do, many run faster and faster to fit it all in.
Get organized
Clases taught by Ruth Wong will run from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on these dates:
» Feb. 16.: How to Manage Time and Get Things Done
» Feb. 23: Organize Your Workspace for Greater Productivity
» March 1: Overcoming Roadblocks to Getting Things Done
Place: University of Hawaii at Manoa Shidler College of Business (sweater suggested as the room is cold).
Cost: $45 per class, with a discount for all three
Call: 956-8400
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In this column I want to encourage you not to increase your speed in life, but to slow it down. I've found that certain things -- life's truly meaningful things -- can only be achieved by slowing down.
Consider this story about Marilyn Monroe from "The Dream Releasers," by Wayne Cordeiro: A reporter from the New York Times, familiar with Monroe's past, including having passed through numerous foster homes, asked the actress if she had ever felt loved by any of the families with whom she had lived.
Marilyn responded that she did feel loved once, when she was about 7 or 8 years old. She said she was watching the woman she lived with put on makeup. The woman was in a happy mood and reached over and patted Marilyn's cheeks with her rouge puff.
Marilyn said, with tears rolling down her face, that in that moment she felt loved.
I was really touched by that story, thinking how sad it was that she felt loved only once during those years. And then I thought how nice that the woman was putting on her makeup at leisure and had time to include young Marilyn.
Thinking back to when my children were young, I was often in hurry-scurry mode, standing at the vanity, rushing to apply my makeup and telling my children, "Hurry up; we've got to go!"
There wasn't much time to consider creating a memorable moment in such instances. (Thankfully, we did have fun, meaningful moments when I wasn't hurrying.)
If you're always in the express lane of life, I encourage you to take some time today to exit onto a slower path for a while.
I know that when there's work to be done, it's not realistic to be on the slow path full time, but think about getting off the express lane for just a few minutes each day.
Only when we slow down can we really pay attention to others and ourselves. By slowing down, you can make a difference to a child, family member, friend, co-worker, neighbor or even a stranger.
You could be performing the smallest of acts, but its impact could be remembered for a lifetime!
See you in two weeks!
Ruth Wong owns Organization Plus. Contact her care of the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, Honolulu 96813, call 488-0288 or e-mail
orgplushawaii@hawaiiantel.net.