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I've never been what you might call an  'environmentalist'. Oh, I recycle most of my cardboard and plastics and I am appropriately irritated if I see a car emitting exhaust, but I have never really concerned myself with carbon footprints, global warming or even aerosol cans. However lately, and with the severe drought in California, I have become acutely aware of the water used by me and by others.
At my house, I have to run the faucets for a while before they get hot. I now find myself feeling guilty about it even though I live alone; especially after my 8 yr old grandson chastised me, noting "you're wasting water Nana" as he reached over to shut off the faucet the last time he was here.
 Wasting water is irresponsible. In fact wasting anything is irresponsible. If you stop to think about it, we waste a lot of things (or maybe it's just me!?!). How many times have we bought fruits and vegetables only to throw many of them away because they rotted before we could use them? Or how many times do we print out something that could be just as well handled paperless? How many of us ignore speed limits despite the fact cars use less gas when they are driven properly? Or fail to keep our tires inflated which burns gas quicker than driving too fast?
I'm going to guess most of us are guilty of at least one, if not  all, of those things. The number one thing most people waste though is time. And unfortunately time is one resource that is not renewable. Once it's gone, it's gone. Some of us will get lots of time, but it's just as possible our time could get cut short. We all know way too many friends and acquaintances that died suddenly and at a young age. Others are fighting the battle of their lives against cancer and other maladies. Or it could be that an accident could cut any one of our lives short.
How do you plan to use your time on this earth? Will you spend it toiling away for way too many hours and at a job only to help grow someone else's vision? Will you waste it lying on the couch living vicariously through the artificial and scripted activities of television characters? Or will you choose to find some sort of balance? Will you chase your dreams? Will you live in the moment and make every minute count?
 As human beings we tend to think everything is limitless -- our resources and our mortality, but what we need to be is far more conscious of how we consume things and how to effectively use our resources and our time because time is actually finite and so are our resources. For me, I am installing a recirculating pump to reduce the water I use. I have reduced the number of vegetables I buy at each visit so they will be used before they spoil. And I do my best to put action items on an electronic to do list, rather than printing out emails as reminders for later.
When it comes to time, I am genuinely and carefully planning to use each day because that is all we truly have. Today. This hour. This moment.
As it is way too easy to let work consume us (or me anyway), I am now delegating more work to my employees so there is more time to enjoy my life. I'm not super good about this yet, but I do try to limit my evening working hours so I have more time for laughter and joy and to be with my family and friends. I am even joining evening social groups to get myself out of the house, away from the TV and to spend time with people who have like-minded interests.
I may still not be classified as an environmentalist, but I have switched on my consciousness to carefully examine each thing in my life to see how I can modify my actions or process day-to-day activities to avoid waste. Being conscious of anything is half the battle.
Take a moment today to think about each thing you do. Are you efficient? Do you waste anything? What about time? Do you waste it or could you use a few more hours? If you do, I know a great company who can help you out with that (self-serving commercial interruption -- apologies).
Oh, and as far as the car goes, it is unlikely I will drive the speed limit 100% of the time. I'm sorry... I want to, I do, but that is one area where, if I'm honest, I may continue to waste a little gas. Still, now I'm conscious of it so........
Executive Errands® - let us help you create balance - delegate at least an hour a week and see how much joy you can bring into your own life... 760.898.9604
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As in, "how do you spend your time?" We 'spend' time because we have a limited amount of it. Like currency, it is a form of payment for our experiences; but unlike cu
It is to live a life of daily gratitude, kindness and love/service for/to others. It is to release attachments to 'things' and to learn how to stop making assumptions or taking anything personally.
Our current focus here in California is the record drought situation and the desperate need to reduce water consumption. Let's take our consciousness to eliminate water waste into the other areas of our lives. 
