Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Multiply, Dilute

Love is limitless. You can love two people or two hundred and you still have the same amount to give. Multiplying something like love doesn't dilute it. Other things, quantifiable things, don't have that characteristic.

We have a limited amount of time. Much of that is already accounted for, in one way or another: a job, parental responsibilities, household chores, socializing with friends, watching reality TV. The time we have left is our free time. That time can be filled with as many things as a person can think of or used to focus on a very few. Multiplying the amount of things we choose to focus our time on certainly does dilute all of them. Individual projects take longer to finish. Excuses allow things to get pushed aside one more time, perpetually.

If we multiply the things we do during the small amount of time we have left over, the quality of time spent on each will decrease and none will be done up to their potential or ever get finished. Our experiences become diluted and the tasks become aimed in the direction of meaninglessness.

From a practicality standpoint:
Choose one thing to focus on during the short bursts of available time. Focus on it.

2 comments:

Torey said...

The idea presented in the first sentence was the topic of a sermon I heard a few weeks ago: God's love multiples without dilution.

I loved the idea and tried to apply it to the crammed-ness of my free time.

Mary Jo said...

Something else to consider: The internal feelings of love are just part of love's equation. We must not forget that it takes TIME to give and receive love. Although I love my daughters equally, they will be the first to let me know if they do not feel loved equally. This is when I use the gift of TIME to let each of them know how special they are.