Making "Margins" in My Life

One of the books I have been enjoying reading over the past few months is entitled 100 Ways to Simplify Your Life by Joyce Meyer. I'm almost finished it, reading a page a day - food for thought.

Two of the most significant "tips" (for me) are to be quick to forgive (tip 24) and to live with margin (tip 62).

Living with margin - to Joyce - means not living with such a tightly scheduled life that unplanned delays create a sense of panic. Rather than being stressed when we are running late, she recommends creating spaces of time - "margins" - between planned events. Then, if no delays occur, these free moments are opportunities to relax and enjoy the day in peace before moving on to the next scheduled task.

I heartily agree! But I also see "margins" as physical spaces - something I need to create in the crowded spaces of my home.














Over the past few months, my goal has been to create "margins" of free space on my desk...














... in my closets and cupboards - in fact, in all the rooms of my home!

I remember how hard it was to read compositions when students refused to leave adequate margins on the page. (They didn't want to "waste paper.")

But white space on a page is so attractive! So are free moments of time here and there - and empty spaces in a cupboard or a room.