It seems harder and harder to etch out any "me" time these days. I like to joke that I wake up on Monday, have lunch on Wednesday, and before I know it, dinnertime arrives on Friday. When I look back on all I've accomplished during the week, sometimes I wonder if I did anything of value at all other than run errands, show up for appointments, and manage the day-to-day hustle we all encounter.

Women of the 1950s spent 57 hours a week keeping house, according to an article in Good Housekeeping magazine. (That's eight hours a day, folks!) No wonder I bemoan lingering dust on the living room ceiling light, missed spill spots on my kitchen floor, and cobwebs behind the downstairs toilet. Who has eight hours a day—every day—to devote to cleaning? And, if I amend any of those dirty issues, four more crop up in their place. (Always inevitable: death, taxes, and dust bunnies.)

I have faded recollections of spending an entire day to myself where I might cross-stitch a project, knit a baby sweater, write in my journal, or read an entire book. (This all may sound a bit sexist, but I find my husband struggles to find his "me" time too.) When did we all get so busy? So distracted? Is staring into the illumination of a handheld device improving our self-worth, our lifestyle, our soul's purpose? (I'm pretty sure it isn't, yet I'm guilty of it.) 

Nowadays, I eke out "me" time wherever I can, be it the quiet pre-dawn hours before hubby gets up, a stolen afternoon with no one else around, or a late-night "I'll be up to bed in awhile" excuse. More and more, I beg off of invitations from friends, I'd rather have the "me" time. (Is that wrong?) I even cut my hair short because I wanted that 30-40 minutes of primping time for other things. 

I make an effort to find these little niches of time because they are important. They allow me to find and be me. If you've read my books, you know how strongly I believe in answering those "me" delights of the heart. They lead us to better and more satisfying things in life. 

What did you do with your "me" time this week? Did you even have any? I read a couple of books (something I can do even with the cat on my lap or sports on tv). I fixed some old bracelets that were falling apart. I wrote in my journal, pulled some tarot cards for the week, and wrote some thank you notes to old friends who took time to write me. I did clean that spot on the floor, dusted, and scrubbed the bathroom (maybe not all of the cobwebs), though I'm pretty sure the eight-hour days of housekeeping are long gone. 

I can't always plan my "me" time. Life drags me forward at its own pace. Rather, I have to lasso and wrangle it whenever and wherever I can. How do you find time for yourself? Hit "reply" and let me know what "me" time means for you.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

3 Things that Recently Inspired Me 

1. The 2022 Winter Olympics were filled with many dramatic ups and downs. I found myself inspired as much by the amazing, gold-medal victories as some of the heart-breaking, didn't-win-a-medal pursuits. One I will remember for quite some time is Mikaela Shiffrin's Twitter reply to her critics after failing to finish in three different events. You can read her inspiring "Get up, again. Again. Again. Again. Again. Again. Again." rant here. Particularly inspiring if you have recently had your own experience with failure. 

2. Whatever happened to real customer appreciation? The situation in Ukraine as of this writing is still uncertain. And although I can't share the content here (because I'm not a customer), I just saw an email from a certain book cover designer company that takes that appreciation to a whole new level. While under threat for what could be a life-threatening situation to their home, their lives, and their country, they took time to email their customers letting them know they are continuing to work as best possible and will do all in their power to complete their clients' book covers. (I would be running for the hills!) I don't think that's what's implied when people talk about "putting the customer first," but I have a lot of respect for them taking time to do write under the circumstances.  

3. Am I the only one obsessed with the Mandalorian opening music theme? Maybe it's the very large bass recorder composer Ludwig Göransson uses to intro the tune. Maybe it's the pace and timbre of the drums. (Of course, it's all of that combined.) Whatever the real reason,  it's one of the songs in my playlist that often gets looped. According to my iTunes account, I've played the song 118 times in the last ten days—most of those loud with noise-canceling headphones.  

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

What I'm reading: 

I'm very cautious and quite a bit skeptical about any health claim that promises the world. I've tried my share of them (sadly) and even of the best, most fall flat. However, I did come across Judson Sommerville's book, The Optimal Dose: Restore Your Health With the Power of Vitamin D3, and read it with interest. Judson opens the book discussing his road to becoming a doctor which is complicated by a bicycle crash leaving him paralyzed. Due to problems he suffered as a paraplegic, Judson, partnered with his knowledge as a doctor, experimented on himself resulting in his receiving the healing properties of vitamin D3. Reading some of the amazing health advantages coupled with his long-term use of it with patients—especially since I live in what can be a dark, cold, winter climate—I decided to try it. While I haven't gained all the claimed benefits—losing that ten pounds would be nice—I have seen positive changes, and I highly recommend the book. 

What books are capturing your attention right now? Hit reply and tell me about your last great read.