Comedian Buddy Hackett often spoke about his mother. Her menu, he told his audiences, consisted of two choices: "Take it or leave it." Although not designed to apply to life choices, the words nonetheless contain inspiration.

When life presents its difficulties, we can either face them or run. The "fight-or-flight" response is ingrained in us, a legacy from caveman days. There are times when running away from a given situation is the best possible response. Leaving someone or something, such as a job that no longer brings joy, may cause anguish but it's often the best, most wisely calculated thing to do.

At other times, though, we can take a stand. We can choose to fight the good fight. In such cases, we have to don mental battle-gear that encourages us to think of the best possible outcomes. President Lyndon Baines Johnson's press secretary, Liz Carpenter, used the metaphor of a funnel to encourage positive thinking: "Instead of looking at life as a narrowing funnel, we can see it ever widening to choose the things we want to do, to take the wisdom we've learned and create something."

Turning the optimism-infused choices of which she speaks into reality depends on using time effectively. As you face the daily decision-making, problem-solving, choice-selecting situations that lie before you, keep in mind the impact of time. It's limited and once it's gone, your life is over. This guide may assist as you allot the time of your life on an hour-by-hour basis:

Spend 3 hours for work due today.
3 hours for work due next week.
1 hour for work due next month.
½ hour for work due in 6 months.
Leftover minutes for work due within the next year.

In the words of an unknown sage, "Today, be aware of how you are spending your 1,440 beautiful moments, and spend them wisely."