The most precious thing in life is this...

I've mentioned this on the blog before, but it's so important that it bears repeating.

It irks me when people stress making loads of money. Sure, money can make for a better life, but it isn't the most precious commodity. What is, you ask?

The most precious thing we have is our time.

While you can lose and recoup money -- say, you get a good job after blowing your hard-earned savings at the casino -- you can never get time back.

Those two hours you spent watching a horrible movie that never got better? You're not getting them back.

That family trip to usually-sunny Florida during which the rain never stopped? Nope, you're not getting that time back either.

All that time spent with a guy who wound up living a double life? It's gone for good.

You know the saying, "Choose your words carefully"? I think an even better one would be "Use your time wisely." We don't know how long we're going to be in this world, and the years, as we well know, fly by.

That's why we should all be appreciative of people who take the time to, say, call us or send us letters every so often. Even if it doesn't happen as frequently as we'd like, they could be using the time for something else. Instead, they chose to give it -- however small -- to you.

By the same token, people should be grateful whenever we take time out of our busy schedule for them.

We live in a world where people cram so much into their lives that they seldom have time for themselves!

Between work, chores, and children, most of us have a serious time deficit in our lives. I always encourage friends and fellow blog readers to take at least an hour or two each week for themselves -- to read, cook, unwind with a bubble bath, or take a breath of fresh air outside.

To you, making the most of your time might be traveling to a new destination every month. To me, it might be to post as many blog posts and reading as many books as I can.

Whatever making the best use of our time means to us, we can all agree that managing it effectively is a key to a happier life. If we feel little to no control over the time in our lives, we become overly stressed and, in the worst cases, depressed.

That goes to show you how crucial a role time plays in our lives -- and how often many of us take it for granted.

We should always aim for ways to maximize our time. Try to find a shorter route to work, a quicker way to cook, a more time-effective method for paying your bills. Thanks to technology, we have myriad tools at our disposal to do this these days.

Many people complain that time is the one thing they wish they had more of, but they do little to carve out more of it.

In order to savor life's little moments, slowing down the pace is paramount. It isn't money that makes us happy, but great experiences that can only be possible with time we allocate to them.

No response from someone IS a response

Make no mistake about it: When you don't get a response from someone -- whether they fail to answer your texts or return your phone calls -- it is still a response, and a powerful one at that. When a person fails to respond, it's a direct reflection of their interest -- or lack thereof -- in the relationship. Few things are more aggravating than having to hound a partner, friend, or relative for some sort of reply after we've reached out to them. Yes, we get busy from time to time, but that doesn't give anyone the right to leave the other person hanging. A terse text with something like "Been busy, will reach out soon" doesn't say much, but at least it shows some effort to bring the other person up to speed on why they've fallen off the radar. Failing to provide a response for weeks -- if not months -- communicates that you are just not a priority, and that you'll have to wait your turn to get this individual's attention. This is n...

Do you have Isolophilia? Find out...

You're probably asking yourself, "What in the world does Isolophilia mean?" It sounds like it would be something negative, doesn't it? After all, words that end in "philia" (e.g., pedophilia) tend to involve things we want nothing to do with. But Isolophilia isn't something all people deplore. In fact, introverts like me welcome it. Put simply, Isolophilia is defined as having a strong affinity for solitude. It describes a person who relishes being alone. While extroverts can only take so much solitude, we introverts find that it rejuvenates us. In order to recharge our batteries, we need to retreat to a quiet environment where we we're left alone to rest and/or gather our thoughts. Extroverts, on the other hand, become bored and drained when they're alone for a lengthy period of time. Social interaction is the fuel that drives them. So while an extrovert would probably do anything to avoid feelings of Isolophilia in most cases, an...

This will spell the end of your relationship

When asked to think about the most common culprits for a relationship's going south, most people will point to cheating, complacency, and taking one's partner for granted. While these are all valid -- and documented in various posts on this blog -- there are certain habits on the part of partners that may not kill the relationship right away, but cause it to erode more gradually. Among the most egregious of these is expecting your significant other to be perfect. They pick at your follies any chance they get. Nothing you do is ever good enough. In fact, you will never measure up to an ex, neighbor, or accomplished co-worker. Perhaps this all sounds a bit familiar. When you feel as though you're constantly being put under the microscope, it can inflict lasting damage on the relationship and your self-esteem. You're walking on eggshells all the time, praying you don't say or do something that's going to trigger your partner. This is no way to live, let alone ca...

How To Understand People

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