Attorney Michael de Broglio on: South Africa, Law, Politics, Attorneys, Sport, Photography, Technology, Gadgets, Media, Crime, Road Accidents Fund,
Divorce, Maintenance, Personal Injury, Medical Negligence
It seems like only a few weeks, or a few months ago, that my staff and I were all discussing how Sandton City was filled with tourists, waving flags, and the World Cup was just about to begin. It is just about to begin in another country now, and it is just a reminder of how quickly time flies. On Saturday afternoons I often take one of our domestic assistants to the taxi rank, and it is amazing how quickly I find that, especially if you have the same task, that same time of the week has come around again. In winter it feels even faster, because the days are shorter and literally the weeks melt into each other and apart from remembering that was a stressful or less stressful week, I just cannot believe how quickly things go by. That does not mean, if you are waiting for some money or something important, that time goes by quickly, it just means your life goes by quickly! It does not feel to me that I opened my law practice almost 19 years ago now, or that about 18½ years ago I could barely afford to pay my rent and how difficult it was to attract and get clients at the beginning.
In the legal profession there is always a new crisis or a new problem that you are facing, and it always seems like the most serious ever – despite the fact that for the last 19 years you have been told every 6 months of a new problem, a new Act of Parliament, new regulations, new practices or rules of the Road Accident Fund, and it sometimes leads to you living your life as one crisis after another, always feeling that you have to overcome the next challenge and the next biggest problem, even though, compared to the challenges of the past, they really are not very significant. I am not sure what the answer to all of this is, but if you have any tips on slowing down life, and I am not talking about lazing about by the pool on Saturday afternoon, let me know!
Posted by Michael de Broglio on Monday 26-May-14
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Comments
Elektra said:
on Thursday 03-Jul-14 09:24 AM
I don't think there is anything you can do to slow time by, all you can do is to ENJOY life, live it to the fullest the way that makes you happy, don't live to make someone else or everyone else happy you cant please them all. Do what you want to do, and make sure you APPRECIATE life!!!
Sinead said:
on Tuesday 27-May-14 10:43 AM
I used to say: Don't count every moment, make every moment count. Don't stay angry or sad. There is not enough time in the world for that. Be happy and live joyfully.
Bianca Els said:
on Tuesday 27-May-14 08:42 AM
My motto in life: " Never let the fear of striking out keeps you from playing the game." I enjoy every challenge coming my way, and as long as i am happy today, i do not stress about tomorrow!
Jolene said:
on Monday 26-May-14 05:55 PM
I definitely agree with Lizanne, it feels like every year just go by faster and faster. When I was younger my parents always said that the years went by so fast, now I know exactly what they were talking about, its as if the older you get the faster time seems to go.
Jade said:
on Monday 26-May-14 04:14 PM
One of my favourite quotes from Joseph Heller's "Catch 22", which I think is relevant to this post, is:
"Maybe a long life does have to be filled with many unpleasant conditions if it's to seem long. But in that event, who wants one?".
So basically, if you sat and stared at a white wall all day and you had no friends or anything worth living for, time may appear to slow down. But who would want that?
I agree with many of the other comments, one cannot make time seem slower, one can merely live in the moment & appreciate today for what it is.
What I am also still learning is that excessive stress and panic are futile. So often I look back on yesterdays fears an wished that I hadn't worried as much.
Monique said:
on Monday 26-May-14 03:36 PM
Time does fly and when we look again its going to be another 5 years that have gone by. So enjoy your everyday life and do what makes you happy.
Kaylee said:
on Monday 26-May-14 03:28 PM
It scares me how quickly time flies. About two years ago, I changed my mindset towards life, and instead of always focusing on what the future holds, sometimes its best to focus on the "now". We constantly focused on getting to the end, without enjoying the journey, the "now" of every day, every moment. It's always the little things we forget to appreciate like sunsets, a child laughter, the rain on the roof. I still have my goals fully aligned and I don't intend on forgetting my future goals, but sometimes you just have to take the moment, enjoy the moment and live for today.
Anna said:
on Monday 26-May-14 12:23 PM
I often think back to my school and university days when holidays between terms seemed to last forever. I never seemed to have enough things to do so I slept late, lay by the pool, made some money with temp work and generally enjoyed lazy days filled with nothingness. Oh to have some of that carefree time again!!! Now days are filled with work, wishing that every day was 28 hours long instead of 24 hours and juggling work and personal commitments as well as exercise, relaxation and everything else that life throws at me. I wish I'd appreciated time so much more when I was younger :-).
Angelique said:
on Monday 26-May-14 11:16 AM
There unfortunately nothing one can do about time. It is the most precious thing on earth, you cannot buy time no matter how much we wish we could. It's all about living and using your time wisely instead of wasting it. People need to remember it that you won't always have the time with loved ones so rather try minimize your stress but accepting that there will always be a crisis and you just need to overcome it and think there are bigger problems out there and that your situation is not that bad. Worrying and stressing about the problem is just wasting time. I do that a lot with my exams, I stress and stress and then realise just stop worrying and rather study. Rather accept and try find a solution or let it be.
Liesl said:
on Monday 26-May-14 10:59 AM
Although we can't always control our circumstances, we can control the way we respond to them. When I start feeling overwhelmed sometimes it helps by disrupting stressful thoughts and dumping needless stresses. During times when I feel very down trodden I concentrate on trying to promote positive thinking by consciously contradicting any negative thoughts and/or emotions by replacing them with positive ones.
Sarah said:
on Monday 26-May-14 10:24 AM
There is no solution.If you keep stress and worrying you don't realize on what you lost out and what all things happen around you that were actually good. I live each day as it was my last day
Lizanne said:
on Monday 26-May-14 10:20 AM
Every year the times flies by quicker and quicker. There is no way of slowing it down but you can only enjoy every single second of every day and live it as if it is your last. Do what you want to do and do not regret anything.
Melissa said:
on Monday 26-May-14 10:14 AM
My opinion is live life to the fullest, and don't let anyone hold you back from your dreams, because time flies so quick.
Brenda said:
on Monday 26-May-14 10:08 AM
Life is but a vapor in the wind, there is no way of slowing it down, all we can do is embrace it. It all just seems faster now because everyone carries the weight of the world on their shoulders, like you said crisis after crisis, change after change and all this building up stress and anxiety. There just doesn't seem to be enough time in the day to deal with the day to day worries and troubles of life.
My advice would be to stop for a second and think about how you "deal' with circumstances in your life, and accept the fact that there are going to major speed bumps and obstacles in your way. The more you stress, the shorter your life span will be, the more you embrace and accept, the longer it will. Its a choice, you choose to make or break at the end of the day.
Life is not easy, but its worth it.
Juliet said:
on Monday 26-May-14 10:06 AM
Always make sure you are doing your best so that you don't live with regrets. This can contribute to lessening the stress of life flying past you. Suddenly you realize you are not as powerful as you think you are.
Alexis said:
on Monday 26-May-14 10:02 AM
No solutions there I'm afraid, life is too short to lounge around and do nothing and doing things speed up the day, the most you can do is make the most of it and enjoy it
Stephanie said:
on Monday 26-May-14 08:51 AM
Time really flies, that is why every minute off our lives is so precious and meaningful. There is no time for stress and drama you miss the whole point off living, even tough it is impossible living a live without any stress. Make every second count and try to be the better person than you was yesterday. It's challenging but so is life itself.
Johannesburg based attorney specializing in personal injury matters including Road Accident Fund claims and medical negligence matters. My interests include golf, reading and the internet and the way it is constantly developing. I have a passion for life and a desire for less stress!
