Today marks the end of Daylight Saving Time (DST), which means we get to move the clocks back and gain one hour of time. What an amazing gift, one extra hour of time in our day, to do whatever we choose! Perhaps you may decide to sleep in later, or wake up early to start a new morning exercise program. Whatever you decide to do, remember the quote above and don't let the time pass you by. Take deliberate action in the direction of your intention.
As I pondered the ritual of setting our clocks back, I realized that I did not know much about the history behind DST, so I did some research. Here's a quick history lesson for you to impress your friends and family.
Despite common misconception, Benjamin Franklin did not invent DST. Although he proposed the idea in 1784 of rising earlier in the morning and going to be earlier in the evening to save money on the cost of candles, an entymologist from New Zealand named George Hudson actually invented DST in 1895. When Hudson first came up with the idea, he faced serious criticism from his peers, but eventually it was accepted by 70 countries across the world. Austria and Germany were the first countries to adopt DST during the time of World War I in April 1916, in an effort to conserve power needed to fuel the war. The United States officially enacted DST on March 19, 1918. In 1966 President Lyndon Johnson standardized the dates to begin on the last Sunday of April and end on the last Sunday of October, and President George W. Bush later signed the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to extend it to begin on the second Sunday of March and end on the first Sunday of November.
Although we have attempted to better control time with our DST policies, it continues to quickly slip away from us all. And the older I get, the faster time seems to go. It has brought me to the realization that the greatest gift we can give ourselves is TIME. Taking time to be fully present in every moment of your life truly is the key to enjoying it more. So savor all of the seconds, minutes, and hours of your life, and the generous extra hour you have just received as Daylight Saving Time ends today.
Healthy Wishes,
Katrina