The concept of time is with us human being from the time we are conceived, born until we die. Our lives are counted in days, weeks, months and years. Our personal sense of time and our relationship with it will determine how we spend whatever amount we are given. Isn’t it about time to become friends with time?
Having a good time
Thinking about the term ‘I need more time’ is making me smile when we are in fact all given the same amount of hours in a day. Henry van Dyke says: “Time so too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those you grieve, too short for those who rejoice, but for those you love, time is eternity.“
‘Having a good time’ is when we are ‘living in the now’.
Time flies…
…when having fun. And it often passes too slowly when we are the dentists. How do you feel about your physical changes that come with aging? Where has ‘lost time’ gone? Have you ‘used your time wisely’?
There is not enough time!
Think about your thinking and feeling in relation to time. Do you feel that you are often ‘running late’ or ‘pressed for time’? ‘Can’t wait’ for things to be over, wondering ‘where the time went’ or watch sports teams ‘race for the best time’?
Think about how you speak about time, both internally and in communication with other. ‘I don’t have time’, ‘I’m busy’ or ‘there is never enough time to do what needs to get done’? Is time on your side or against you?
Time to change?
The messages you have heard from your parents as well as your thinking and feeling about time has shaped your beliefs. It is based on your beliefs that you experience your life now. So, what would you like your relationship with time to be like? What would you like to believe about time, if you could choose?
Try experimenting with your sense of time
Ask yourself:
In relation to me…
- Where is today? How much space is there for today?
- Where is tomorrow? Next month? Next year?
- Where is yesterday? Last month? Last year?
- Is this enough space?
Try this experiment:
When you go on holiday next and you would like it to feel longer than the time you have, imagine extending the space of time that you allocate. For example: You go on holiday for a week. Imaging stretching the space a week takes in your experience so it feels like two weeks.
You can also do it the opposite way, where you compress the time you spend for example in traffic.
Another one of my favorite experiments with time is this: When you notice that you are pressed for time, tell yourself this: ‘There is always enough time to be in the right place at the right time’ and watch what unfolds.
Take action now: Please leave your comments below on your biggest time beliefs that you’d like to shift or let me know about your coolest time experiments.