"I just don't have the time."
Ever hear yourself speak those words? It's quite possible you have, and on more than one occasion. Life's responsibilities and endeavors seep in and take a lot of, not only our energy and money, but also our most valuable commodity-time.

We all have the same amount of time each year, 365 days, 52 weeks, or 8760 hours. If you are feeling under pressure that doesn't sound like much. Most of your days are spent waking up to a to-do list longer than the time you'll be awake, and a lot of us spend our time watching the clock or the calendar.

We know that stress can be a killer causing anything from minor illness to more severe ailments such as heart attacks and cancer. We may take a second to tell ourselves to calm down, and what gets done, gets done, but while we do so our heart is palpitating. We know there is no way everything can be accomplished.

How can we break free of time restraints?

Ask yourself: is this task as urgent as I ascribe to it? Maybe these "have to's" are more what you feel you need to do. What if you changed your thinking around on this subject? It's not going to be easy to tell your driven personality to take care of things as they come. And, there is nothing wrong with a driven nature unless-and this key-it endangers your health and affects your relationships with others.

So here's the first step: Transfer your thinking from "I have to..." to "I want to..." By doing this you cut out the unnecessary tasks or the ones that can truly wait. Also, by focusing on what you "want to do" you are feeding your soul.

Maybe you're still having a hard time letting go of the "have to's"? Here's my suggestion: rustic rejuvenation, or in other words go to the country or focus on nature.

Let the wind blow across your face, and if you're near water let the sound of it lapping against the shore soothe your soul. When you're eighty years old, do you think you're going to look back on your life and think of all you accomplished with your business, or your "have to" list and feel satisfaction? Or will those memories be the times you spent with loved ones or fed your soul?

Recently, I rediscovered the "truth". While life makes it necessary to take care of certain responsibilities-a job, taking care of your family, caring for elderly parents, and the list goes on-it should pivot around your wants.

I was enlightened by a trip to the country. The peace and serenity there gave me time to let my concerns go. No doubt to observers, as I watched over the lake, I looked as if I was contemplating the deeper purpose of life and the universe, but I was thinking about nothing. I was listening to the sound of the wind in the trees. I let it brush across my face, and let everything else go, and surprisingly it wasn't hard to do. All of this happened naturally.
Maybe you can't afford a trip to the country, what can you do?

Most importantly buy out time for your soul. Can you sit outside and listen to the sounds around you? Can you further feel nature through the breeze, and the smells? If you're in the city, tune out the noise pollution of cars, and sirens, focus on nature and its soothing voice.

No matter where most of us live there are parks where we can walk or sit on a bench. Take advantage of this. Let yourself breathe.

By making solitary time a priority, and focusing on nature, you will find renewed energy and motivation in life. You'll sense more purpose, and your thinking abilities will clear.