Margins

Margins! Most things we read, we read within margins. We write within margins. A margin is the space we could use if we want to, but choose not to. If we wrote without margins, we would be writing to the very edge of the page. It just wouldn't look right! So margins are good. We can even set the size of the margins.

So here's the question; should we live within margins?

Most of my life I would have said we should "live life on the edge". But the longer I live the more I realise that if we want to last the distance, it is wiser to live life within margins. What do I mean?

Here are some examples....

If we spend everything we earn, we are living life on the edge. What if we lived within a margin? What if we lived on less that we earn, and banked the margin? No doubt we would live with a little less stress. The margin would give us room to move when the unexpected happens.

What about time? How often do we rush out the door to get to an appointment "on time"? What happens when we notice we need to stop for gas or get stuck in traffic? What if we decided to live within a margin. What effect would it have on our stress levels if we left 15 minutes earlier than we need to? The margin would give room for the unexpected, and give s a less stressful life.

Or energy!!! Instead of working ten hour days, what if we created a greater margin? Working nine would give us an extra hour for the unexpected, or a margin to offer the family. And about holidays..... taking a proper holiday is simply putting a margin around our working life. The margin will make the work far more productive.

And how about relationships? We build relationships through giving love and time. Giving love and time to those we care about is like putting credits in the bank. Then in the difficult times we make a withdrawal. Living with a margin is simply making sure we put more into our relationships than we take out. We build a credit of trust. Then when the unexpected happens, we have the depth of trust in the bank to weather the storms. Could it be that we have made no room for margins in our relationships? Perhaps it is time to put more into those we love than we need to. To build a margin.

So my "live life on the edge" attitude is now making room for margins. Not so exiting you may suggest? Actually there is a key. Treat the "margin" as the new "edge".