One of the better things ever said is - 'The only thing in life that will always remain the same is change', and in our life we have the power to make

We tend to think of time wasters as too much TV viewing, daydreaming, or anything that isn’t a productive use of minutes and hours.

Here are a few you may not have considered.

Gossip. What’s the point, really? Conveying needed information to the appropriate person or people is okay, but negative gossip is a misuse of time and as Ghandi said, a form of violence. All of us do the best we can to make our way through our lives and challenges even if others don’t see it that way. A good use of time is to speak about others’ accomplishments and strengths.

Criticism. Constructive critiquing can be useful; criticism is usually just a way to vent about something we haven’t addressed in our lives or ourselves. If we feel the need to criticize, we can ask ourselves where or how we feel restricted then change it so we feel better.

Repetitive dwelling on what others do or did. Unless our motivation is to understand or appreciate something, we can use up a lot of time re-running an imaginary film or recording about what someone did or said. If it doesn’t directly impact us in a way that requires our current attention, we can wish them well and get on with creating the life we wish to expand. If it does directly impact us, we can handle it then let it go.

Worry. Unless we want more of the same, we can let go of worry. You’ve probably heard that most of what we worry about never happens; and the things that happen, we aren’t given time to worry about. If we can shift something to make a situation better, do it. If we’re not sure what to do, we can pause until we are. If we’re unable to shift something at the outer level, we can shift it at the inner by looking at it differently and focusing on what we wish to expand.

A good use of time is to do something that makes us feel better. For some people, that includes prayer or meditation. For others, it’s exercise, a relaxing bath, or even a nap. Maybe soothing music or a funny movie will do the trick. A walk in the park or around the neighborhood may be just the thing, or a visit with a friend. The better we feel, the better the events and people we attract into our lives are.

We all have moments when we are out of alignment, and it feels bad. We are not obligated to feel this way even when it seems logical. Yes, we may need to vent or cry or express our feelings which are all healthy things to do; but we don’t have to stay in that place any longer than necessary. Keep the Law of Attraction in mind: What we focus our strongest feelings on, we attract more of. This includes the time wasters listed above. Thoughts given enough emotional charge are more likely to solidify into our reality. We can shift energy by choosing to feel even just a little bit better.

We all have the same amount of time in a given day. Wouldn’t we prefer to make the most of it and feel better while we do it?

Joyce Shafer is a published author; freelance ghost re-writer, editor, proofreader; and United Press International weekly columnist, also published at various online venues. See the exceptional reviews of her first book, “I Don’t Want to be Your Guru, but I Have Something to Say,” at www.lulu.com/content/773467, and both books at www.joyceshafer.com. Contact her at jls1422@yahoo.com.