What do you think of when you hear the phrase “killing time?”
For some, this might bring to mind a state of boredom or impatience as we are waiting.
It also might refer to how we spend our leisure time.
Leisure time is that portion of the day when we are not sleeping, working or engaged in biological necessities.
It’s the time we are most free to choose our activities and pursuits.
This is where most of us seize the opportunity to enjoy recreation, amusement, diversion or hobbies or pastimes.
One reason many people work hard is so they can play harder when they have time to kill.
And that’s not a bad thing.
The goal here isn’t just to find pleasure or distraction.
A good hike or game can be simultaneously grueling and yet immensely rewarding.
There’s another aspect of leisure time that we sometimes overlook and that is the opportunity to further develop our minds, and character.
Just as physical training helps us to create mastery and coordination in our bodies, intellectual and moral training help us produce better thinking and solid virtues.
These qualities help to shape us into better individuals, parents, neighbors and citizens.
If our leisure time consists primarily of playing, we may be missing out on some of the things that shape us into the kind of people who are fit to be free.
Share this post