We don’t often consider the role that time plays in our lives. We talk about time, we schedule our lives around it, we use it to manage public transportation, schools, businesses and events. We talk about how busy we are and how we don’t have enough time to do all that we want to do. We notice how time flies and crawls, depending on the activity, we say that time heals all wounds, and if we give something time it will resolve itself. We have time management seminars and we study the effects of time on everything from aging and health. But time is a human construct and we have more control over our experience of it than we may realize.
The Past, the Present, and the Future
Some people seem to be stuck in the past, remembering and pining for what was or suffering because of what has been.
Others are focused on the future, what is on the calendar, what they are waiting for. They are hoping for what might be and suffering because of fear of what could happen. Of course we all know that staying present is ideal. It just isn’t easy to do and requires a lot of practice. The value of staying present though is that you have access to both the past and the future when you are present. You are not stuck in either mindset but have freedom to move between both by staying grounded in the moment and not losing perspective of what is happening right now. Whenever I am dealing with issues of time I always begin by returning to this moment. Only in this moment can I truly find the perspective to work on the other issues like procrastinating.
Procrastination
Why do some of us procrastinate? In my opinion procrastination is valuable input from the subconscious. I don’t think it is a lack of discipline entirely although that is certainly part of it. The question I ask is why are we lacking the discipline? When we put something off that we know needs to be done I find it helpful to sort out why I don’t want to do it? Am I properly motivated? Is there a good underlying reason for my hesitation? What do I gain by procrastination? It is a stop sign along the road. Procrastination tells me that I am out of sync with myself. I have misplaced my priorities and how I value my time. When I stop judging myself for procrastinating and start seeking to understand why I am procrastinating I am usually rewarded with insight and clarity.
Busyness
Have you ever found yourself telling others how busy you are? Doesn’t it feel good to have a bullet-proof excuse for everything? “I’m so busy.” Being busy is a great distraction from looking at deeper issues. Perhaps busyness allows you to avoid a difficult conversation. Maybe it prevents you from recognizing how unhappy you are at your job. Busyness keeps fear and discomfort at a distance because busyness is urgent. It is a siren that blares so loud it drowns out all other quieter sounds. I started a practice of not using “busy” as an excuse. I stopped saying I’m busy and I was surprised how my stress levels dropped when I stopped believing I was overwhelmingly busy. It also opened up my mind to observe how I was spending my time. What were my priorities? Was I trying to do too much? Was I subconsciously keeping my schedule too full for self reflection and problem solving? If time is truly valuable was I doing valuable things with it?
Creativity
“I don’t have time to be creative.” I hear that a lot actually. I don’t have time to write. I don’t have time to learn to play the piano. I don’t have the luxury of creating art of any kind when I have other more important things to do. Creativity is not something that can be rushed or completed like the items on a to do list. Creativity requires you to slow down. A lot. This slowing down allows all the stuff you have been avoiding to catch up to you. So we say we don’t have time to be creative it is simply not a priority because creativity cannot be done in isolation. It impacts our whole life, whether we are creating or not. You can’t be creative the way you do the dishes. It takes you to the level of the soul and that is a pretty scary place for a lot of us. We would rather complete our to do lists and complain that we don’t have time than really examine what we are afraid of. Failure? Judgment? Inadequacy? Self abuse? Only you can answer that question. But for me, creating is as vital as breathing and eating. And the lack of it is just as costly.
Healing
They say that time heals all wounds but it doesn’t heal anything on its own. A wound can worsen with time if it is not properly treated and cared for. Time is your enemy for example if you get bit by a venomous snake. Time can change our perspective though. Time can provide space and experience so that we can revisit our wounds with a new vision. When we are ready we must attend to our wounds and make the most of the effects of time. If we choose to work with time it make enough room for a transformation to occur. But we are part of that arrangement. Time alone alone will march forward. We have to choose to march with it. That is how time heals wounds, when we work in harmony with it.
At the end of time is death. How we face our mortality is directly connected to our relationship with time itself. I think this is the reason time plays such a crucial role in our lives. Time is always reminding us of our mortality and the impermanence of all things. What is your relationship to time? Are you afraid of it? Does it pass too quickly? Not quickly enough? Is time something considered or avoided? How we relate to time, how we spend it and prioritize it, and our ability to maintain equilibrium between past and future are all foundational decisions to creating a life of harmony and balance.
