On January 2, I sat in my favorite coffee shop listening to my baristas talk about being wasted on New Years.
Wasted. Trashed.
Now, if you know me, you know I’m no prude. I enjoy a good party and I’m usually the last to leave. But let’s look at those words for a moment. From dictionary.com:
WASTED (adj)
1. use or expended carelessly, extravagantly or to no purpose.
2. weak or emaciated
TRASH (v) is similar:
1. damage or wreck, discard, kill
2. criticize severely.
Is this how these baristas want to spend their time? Would they say, “I’m going to go spend tonight carelessly; I want to wreck it. I’m going to be purposeless and weaken my life.”
Probably not. And yet, they brag about having done so the next day.
I’m all for rejuvenation and relaxation, but not wrecking or wasting. My clients know that fun and downtime (and good sleep) become a priority on the coaching agenda very soon into a program. Without it, you’re not at your best and there’s less you to work with.
Time is the most precious non-renewable resource. The hours in our day and days in our lives is what we have. It’s all we have. I don’t want to spend them wasted or trashed.
And neither do you.
As sobriety has become trendy (what?), I’m inspired to see what happens at bars and with mainstream mocktail culture when people are truly looking to connect and not trash/waste themselves. Sober-curiosity is catching on, and it’s interesting to see what happens when people have more of themselves to offer. After my own sober year, more clients are asking me about it and I’m thrilled to help you in any way I can.
And of course this isn’t just about ingestibles, this is about any time wasting — social media, negative self-talk, stressing, you know the culprits. So read “wasting” as it applies to you.
There’s so much to do on this beautiful earth. So many great movies! Vistas! Hikes, people! Sex, music. Sunshine. All of it. If you’re not sure how to spend your time get out there and volunteer. If you have legs, walk. If you can’t walk, listen to music, if you can’t listen — feel, see, experience. Love.
And before I sign off — there’s one more word, SPOIL, which is really stuck in my craw. It’s how you trash or waste another person, typically a child.
SPOIL (v):
1. diminish or destroy the value or quality of
2. harm the character of (someone, especially a child) by being to lenient or indulgent
Let’s play a game: let’s remove “spoil” in some common sentences and insert one of these terms.
“I love ruining my child with treats”
“A grandmother’s job is to harm the character of her grandson”
“My new boyfriend is amazing! He destroys the value of me like I’ve never been diminished before!”
Please: don’t spoil, trash or waste. Yourself or others.
Let’s be conscious of the words we use and the actions we take. We can do better, we can be better.
Your life is extraordinary, every moment.
