Margins

From my childhood, I learned to be just ‘on time’ is to be late. My father, who owned a furniture business, insisted that we open the store, turn on the lights and adjust the temperature before it was offically open. He wanted the store to be welcoming to an early customer. I later learned about ‘margins’ from Dr. Swenson’s book, Margins. In my practice as a psychotherapist, I always put a margin of 15 to 30 minutes between apointments. This may not be the most efficient use of my time, but it fits me. I have time to have a cup of tea, go to the restroom and review notes prior to the next person showing up. Using margins also means that I am ready when it is time to begin. I use margins when I am traveling. I don’t book flights with the least amount of time for a transfer. I don’t mind walking casually between airport gates and watching people. I think using margins also helps my mind to slow down. I like to give myself time to ponder decisions before making them. Practicing margins has helped me slow down and live more fully in the present. I even have time to write a blog— “blog” that’s a funny name. I’ll give myself some time to ponder that name, “blog”, interesting.