100 Page Limit

What’s your 100 page limit? The person who coined this phrase with me is passionate for books in her career and her life, and we’d been talking about good reading material. She said that she dumped a book at 100 pages, if it didn't catch her interest. I thought, hmmm what is a person’s limit in their life, not only in their dedication to a book which isn't proving to be a page turner? When does someone stop what they’ve habitually been doing without thought or care and choose to just stop.

Earlier this week, “coincidentally” (a word I always use with quotation marks, see This thing that is not a Coincidence for more on my thoughts) someone I know said that she ALWAYS finishes a book that she starts. I used to do this too, like a dog with a bone, I couldn’t let go, but what did it prove in the end? Only that I had read hundreds of pages without getting any benefit, except to say that I’d read some fancy-schmancy book on the NY Bestsellers list? Does anyone really care what I read in the dentist’s office or on my Kindle, does it make me any more likable?

The people who care about  you and want you to be the best you can be, just want you to be happy. Don’t waste it, your time is a limited commodity. Don’t put on huge complicated dinner feasts (unless you want to), don’t scrub floors that don’t need it, don’t attend events that you can’t wait to leave.

So for the most part, somewhere along the line, I stopped doing so many “shoulds” and replaced them with “woulds”. I would pull on my runners 3 times a week, I would go to yoga at least once a week, I would eat a piece of chocolate every day (you noticed how I sneaked that one in, right?) and I would write every day amongst other things I really and truly wanted to do.

Funny how doing these “woulds” has given me more time to be who I am, to enjoy Me. I hardly even remember what some of my “shoulds” were anymore, and I am still a nice person! I do have a friend who occasionally reminds me however, that there was a time that it was essential, no mandatory that I clean all the bathrooms on Friday night (no less) after work, before I "would" enjoy the weekend and have fun.

I look back at that and say What Nonsense! Most bathrooms can wait another day and thank goodness for friends who keep you humble.

Promise yourself that you will pull out your yoga mat, your colouring pencils, your banjo or your book. Do what makes you joyful today, the bathroom will wait.

What’s your 100 page limit? What will you stop doing today to make more room in your life to enjoy You?