My journey as a father is now a little over 5 weeks and it has been amazing… though I don’t sleep as much and I constantly have to adjust my schedule; every second has been worth it. Ethan is growing up fast and it’s awesome watching him grow in front of my eyes.
Being a father has been a pretty smooth and “easy” so far… I’ve been lucky to have Kelly who is not just an awesome wife but a super mom!… and also grateful and lucky to have Kelly’s parents stay over and help out at the same time.
I’m also grateful that I have a home based business where I am at home and can afford to take 3 hour naps in the afternoon… so it has been pretty easy for me. But… if I couldn’t nap… then I admit… it would be brutal!
The arrival of Ethan has also made me think about “time freedom.” In our hectic lifestyle and in a society where both spouses normally work, the term “time freedom” is constantly mentioned. In the home business industry, “time freedom” is the ultimate destination and the driving force that motivates home business owners to work hard. “Time freedom” is the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
For those that have seen me reach the top levels in my home business (Diamond Director) and how I spend my time (working out, traveling,etc) , many would say that I have achieved “time freedom.”
However…
Recently I had to reconsider whether “time freedom” actually exists… What is freedom? The dictionary says freedom is “the power or right to act,speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint”… to me, freedom is the ability to do whatever I want, whenever I want.
A few days ago, I was about to do my normal morning routine of daily devotion, reading and yoga… until… Ethan started to cry! Immediately, the daily devotion, reading and yoga was postponed and I had to take care of my beloved boy. Poor Ethan had a wet diaper and had to be changed… and then he needed to be fed… and then… Ethan wanted me to hold him and talk to him! Next thing you know, I spent an awesome hour with him until Ethan finally went back to sleep.
So what happened to the daily devotion, reading and yoga?! … it never happened that morning…so much for “time freedom!”
But… I was able to make the daily devotion, reading and yoga happen later that night as I re-arranged my schedule.
So does TIME FREEDOM really exist?
I came to the realization that it does NOT… How can a father have TIME FREEDOM when I have a baby or loved ones that need my constant attention? I cherish and enjoy every moment that I spend with my son… and at the same time realize that I am no longer “free to do what I want, whenever I want.”
But… I also learned:
though I don’t have “time freedom”, my business has given me TIME FLEXIBILITY!
I can still do the things I want to do, but I just have to be more flexible and I have the flexibility that others don’t have…. like sleep only 3 hours at night but take 3 hours naps in the afternoon 🙂
Which brings up the question… even after Ethan grows up, will I EVER have “time freedom?”… the more I think about it, the answer is “no” because we live “life” and “life” has a tendency to always throw things out at us. But what we can strive for is to create a lifestyle where we have Time Flexibility.
What they say is true… often we learn more about life from our kids than they learn from us. Chalk this up as the newest lesson I learned from Ethan.
What do you think? Does “Time Freedom” really exist?
Until next time,
God Bless
Simon
Simon, Your son is handsome and Kelly is just as beautiful as ever.
May I suggest another way to look at your “Time Freedom” which you believe no longer exists. Because you have the ability to make the choices of how you use your time, you are still in charge of how your time is spent. You have the freedom to chose what you are going to do with the next minutes or hour of the day. Yes, your choices may now require a certain flexibility, but it is still your choice to make.
“to me, freedom is the ability to do whatever I want, whenever I want.” You can still do the stated objective if you chose. But you have chosen to be a wonderful dad and take your hours to make sure all is well with your family. Again, you still have the freedom to decide what you do with your own minutes and hours.
You aren’t in a situation where a boss is taking your hours, you are chosing what happens in your hours. That to me is Time Freedom.
HI SIMON IM HAPPY BECOUSE YOU ARE A NEW FATHER NOW,,HOW I WISH YOUR SON WAS LIKE BOTH OF THE PARENT CUTE AND LOVING PERSON.ETHAN WAS A LIKE YOU A SUCCESSFULL IN HER LIFE WE TAKE CARE OF YOUR SON GIVE MY GREETINGS TO YOUR WIFE AND SON…..
GOD BLESS YOU FRIEND AND YOUR FAMILY………………..
First of all, congratulations on your newborn and to your wife!
Thanks for sharing this wonderful post! I totally agree with you.
This is why a whole life concept is very important. Even if we were to reach our goals in our home-based business, we must NEVER forget WHY we did all these for? And for whom?
If the whole reason is FOR our family, then they must take priority.
Especially when the baby cries . . . 🙂
All the best!
Regards,
Mark Chew
http://chewmark.com
Hi Dad – you’re doing great. I love what you say about ‘time flexibility’. Our friends in Germany just had twin girls on July 1. They too are adjusting to new life with babies. CONGRATULATIONS to you, Kelly and Ethan (and your adorable pooch). New family’s need all the encouragement they can get!
C U @ convention,
Ani Black
1-Star Diamond Director
with USANA Health Sciences
Hey SImon, Little Ethan is precious and thanks for the insights on “time flexibility.” It seems rather appealing! Enjoy.
now I know the meaning of “Time Freedom”. as many networkers always said it in their presentation, they still really understand the meaning of those word. But, thanks to you for writing this post and it’s open my eyes that we can’t control the life event, but we can fully control our schedule.
I realize that if we have “Time Freedom”, how the live can be so challenging? because it’s totally like a cheat engine in video games. 🙂
please correct me if I’m wrong! thanks!
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