Hello everyone. The Ragtag Daily Prompt this morning is TRAFFIC. Please pardon the little traffic jam if two posts popped into you In-Box; it appears the issue’s sorted now.

Last week I read a post over at POCKET , one of these articles that pop up as suggested reading when I open my browser. This was about spending the first hour of your day reading inspiring or useful books/articles, and meditating, sorting the day’s tasks. Stay OFFLINE, he says; NO checking Facebook, e-mails or phone messages.

This writer claims that if you give attention to “short stuff” like checking e-mail or the traffic on your blog, it sets the tone for your whole day. Hopping. Unfocused. Not able to prioritize and concentrate on the day’s work that needs your attention.

I do believe the author had a good point. Woe is me! So not a highly effective person. My first stop is to feed our demanding cats, then make a cup of coffee. While I’m drinking it I check my In-box and respond to incoming short stuff with my own bursts of blab. I don’t do Facebook, though; I do RDP and try to write something half-way inspiring for you all to read. Does that count for meditating?

This writer’s a time-management consultant, as I recall. What about a mother whose first few hours are spent attending to the family? Likely she gets up earlier and has a few quiet moments to sketch out her To-Do list before interacting with her family, but her first hour is often spent on small things like breakfast cereal choices rather than reading and meditating.

And there are retired people like myself who seldom have anything particular on the “Must-do-today” list. Rather, I seem to spend a lot of time hunting for and/or picking up small things. 😉 I guess each person has to set their own priorities and choose a plan for the day that works best for them.

I was blending all these thoughts this morning as I watched the coffee swirling around in my mug, and came up with this little verse, which you may call “stream-of consciousness.” Meditating: check. 🙂

BLENDING

Coffee in my cup
swirling round, blending,
cream and sugar with
plans for this day
swirling round, sorting
the tasks, the hours.
Decisions to make
establishing priorities –
coffee being first –
swirling around, blending
with a prayer that time
will stretch to cover –
and the energy pool
be deep enough to rinse –
today’s most important.