“Nothing is a waste of time if you use the experience wisely.” – Auguste Rodin
I had the great privilege of interning with the “Commissariat General du Plan,” the strategic planning branch of the French Government, while pursuing my undergraduate degree at the University of Michigan. My office was in the Faubourg Saint-Germain area of the Left Bank, just around the corner from the Rodin Museum.
If you haven’t been, the Rodin Museum is a charming stop on a tour of Paris of any duration. Set in a rococo mansion spared destruction during the Reign of Terror (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reign_of_Terror), its gardens and halls showcase many of Rodin’s remarkable sculptures, paintings, engravings and sketches (see http://www.musee-rodin.fr/).
It was easy to appreciate the time I spent in Paris and consequently, easy to spend the time wisely. There was nothing about my internship, my studies or my free time in Paris that I felt was wasted. I can think of many other experiences, however, where the challenge to find the value in an experience was more difficult.
“Nothing is a waste of time if you use the experience wisely.” To use time wisely you need wisdom. Short on wisdom? Ralph Waldo Emerson offers a powerful starting point: “The invariable mark of wisdom is to see the miraculous in the common.” Is there anything more common than common things in this world? Ample opportunity to see the miraculous!
You are far more likely to encounter that which you’ve seen before, that which is old hat, that which common, than you are to come across something truly spectacular. But does that mean that most of what you experience must then be a waste of time? I hope not!
Take a chance today. Challenge yourself to make optimal use of your time today. Look for the spectacular in the mundane. If you’re brave, do more than look for it. Mention it. Point it out. Share it.
“Nothing is a waste of time if you use the experience wisely.” Merci beaucoup, Monsieur Rodin!
Gregory Hake 
Sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in the mundane. I think the point here is instead of trying not to get caught up in the common, boring things, make sure that there are no such things for you. Thanks as always for your interesting take on things!
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Wow, in thinking about your challenge to make optimal use of my time today, I am finding that paying attention to what is actually around me, to appreciate and to discern the most creative and valuable ways to invest my energy, is leading to increased patience, determination, generosity, energy, creativity, appreciation, wonder… what a waste to blindly move through any day. Cool & thanks!
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“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as if everything is” (Albert Einstein). It is definitely in my hands to live life as a the miraculous experience it is.
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“I am realistic – I expect miracles”
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Grow a flower from a seed, watch grass grow through the pavement, read history…they happen all the time!
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Sometimes people look for some kind of miracle when they are in a fix, or they pray for one when a loved one is ill or faces a great challenge. I love what you describe here, because by living life as if everything is a miracle, every moment becomes something to take delight in and be in awe of. Knowing that we are blessed with such miracles all around, it is natural to feel great appreciation for ‘everyday’ life. Thanks for the daily dose of internet sunshine!
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Miracles are all around us everyday in every moment. They are directly attached to perspective. Not seeing any miracles or spectacular occurances? Change your perspective. Thanks for the reminder to be alert to all things wonderful,” Carpe Diem”.
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I once read that most people go through life like a blind man in an art gallery; at the end of it still wondering what all the excitement was about because they didn’t see anything that great.
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Ralph Waldo Emerson also said “People only see what they are prepared to see.” So if we are prepared to see the miraculous, we will!
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Your thoughts today reminded me of a poem I love. It always
inspires me to participate in the beauty presented everyday. I don’t know who wrote it. Hope you enjoy it.
Living
To touch the cup with eager lips and taste, not drain it;
To woo and tempt and court a bliss – and not attain it;
To fondle and caress a joy, yet hold it lightly,
Lest it become necessity and cling too tightly;
To watch the sun set in the west without regretting;
To hail its advent in the east – the night forgetting;
To smother care in happiness and grief in laughter;
To hold the present close – not questioning hereafter;
To have enough to share – to know the joy of giving;
To thrill with all the sweets of life – is living
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If you don’t look at your experiences in life as an opportunity for growth and see the best in them (even if they may be difficult or even sometimes tragic), then what is the other choice you have – a life of hate, regret, guilt, fear, sadness? Wherever you are now is all that you have – I agree, make the most of it and start seeing each day as brand new, exciting and full of adventure!
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Oh how timely this is for me today Gregg. I’m laughing at the irony – I was staring out the window watching the birds around the feeder and noticing the many flowers that are popping up and then thought, “get with it Brad, you’ve got ‘things’ to do, stop wasting precious time”. (hence reading your blog – LOL)
Every morning my children take care to watch out the window, counting birds and noticing all the ‘common’ occurrences I’ve likely overlooked.
I’ve been told that life goes by like the blink of an eye, cherish the little moments. It is true, wise use of an experience will not allow a single common moment to pass as a waste.
Thanks for the reminder.
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