Letter from the Publisher
Time Over Money
At the start of every summer, I tell myself that I am going to slow down and enjoy more free time. I have not been very successful.
Why do most of us feel like we never have enough time? The demands of modern life never seem to cease. Juggling work, family obligations and multiple activities can be overwhelming, leaving us feeling stressed out and wishing there were a few more hours in the day.
Technology has a profound effect on the way we experience time. We constantly are barraged by emails, texts, tweets and other social media updates. Subconsciously or compulsively, we feel compelled to check and respond. This cycle of instant gratification can leave us stuck in an existing moment in which we are not fully present and instead focused on what might be coming next.
It turns out that time is the most valuable thing on earth. According to a Pew Research Center poll, 68% of Americans value having free time as the most important aspect of their life. Free time was ranked No. 1, more treasured than having children or successful careers, being married, and even being wealthy.
So how can we get some of this free time back and get out of the cycle of instant gratification? One prescription is to become more mindful about slowing down our lives. Take time out from our obsession with time and technology. Be deliberate about being in the present moment.
Welcome to the summer issue of Artful Living. Check out our feature by Alyssa Ford, “For Richer, For Poorer,” an interesting read and visual guide to Minnesota’s upper-crust families and the wedding ties that bind them. This issue also is packed with masculine themes designed to entertain you with our original and unexpected content.
Take Artful Living along to the cabin or pool this summer and get lost in our pages for a few minutes. Our time passes quickly, and it’s up to us to spend it wisely. Through mindfulness practices, we can alter our perception and slow down time. T.S. Eliot said it even better: “The time you enjoyed wasting is not wasted time.”
Cheers,
Frank Roffers
Publisher + Editor-In-Chief
