Time.
It’s probably on your mind a lot. And, have you ever thought about what it means to you? Do you hold onto it tightly? Do you wonder what could happen if you released your grasp?
Just suppose you could lift time outside of your mind and place it physically in front of you. Then, you could step back and become an observer of it.
Albert Einstein once said: Look deeply at nature and you’ll understand everything better.
And so when I consider time outside myself – and how it impacts my life – I look deeply at nature. I think of animals and find myself wondering: How does a squirrel get by without a watch?
First, I laugh at my thought. When I think more deeply, I see how a squirrel makes it through the day. He wakes up, eats, rests, plays, and goes to sleep. He lives. He does all of this without knowing the word time.
What if you could live without knowing time?
Replace the word “time”
Think about replacing the word “time” in your vocabulary with words like energy, attention or space. Think about how that would turn your thoughts upside down. Here’s an example: I don’t have enough energy. I don’t have enough attention. I don’t have enough space.
These words can mean the same thing. Plus, these things are renewable – energy, attention, and space. It’s easier to create more. Lots of choices arise.
So, why not shift your perspective?
Try this practice to play with time
Give yourself 5 minutes. Find a quiet place. Sit back. Take a few deep breaths. Relax your whole body – from the top of your head to the bottom of your feet. Make your mind a clean slate.
Ask yourself these questions.
- How possible is it to be in the past, present, and future simultaneously?
- If you were looking down on time, what does it look like and sound like?
- What is the most loving view of time you could imagine?
Enjoy this space for self-reflection. Take a moment and write down what insights came up.
I encourage you to release your grasp of time as often as you need. Give yourself that gift. Be that observer. Find a way that works best for you.
I’d love to hear your views in the comments. We can all learn from each other’s experiences.
