Don’t we get tired of hearing about time? “I have no time.” “Where did the time go?” “You should spend more time on your personal growth.” “You will have no time if you ….” And it goes on and on. No one tells you at the beginning of your life journey that time itself has no value and does not in fact exist. I create my concept of time. You must have heard those old chestnuts: “It is a short life so you had better hurry and — get a good job, makes lots of money, get married — whatever!” Or the even more painful: “If I were your age again, I would …!” Anyone who has a bit of grey on their temples knows that these are all fabrications. It is a very long life filled with a plethora of experiences – not all good and not all bad – and you can’t do it again. You had better make “the first go” exciting and interesting. Life is a gift given but once. It is the classic dilemma: it is all mine to lose and all mine to gain.
Why then, do people appear to suffer over time and its consequences? This is because we really do not know its intrinsic worth, its value until we have little of it left. Much like living our entire life in a smog-infested city, when we have the opportunity to walk in the mountains or on a wind-swept beach, we are thrilled, and yet puzzled, by the power of its natural purity. But, until we make that trek, we can’t comprehend the significance of its power. Many will take a lifetime to comprehend the treasure that is each and every day if ever. Ignorance is the excuse: we simply do not know. Our entire system is oriented towards some imagined successful future, all the while suffering the crushing failures of its past. Conceptually it sounds foolish, doesn’t it? And it is. There is no future and no past. There is only the now. This is an idea that has been with mankind for a very long time but we are loathed to embrace it. “There exists only the present instant … a Now which, always and without end, is itself new. There is no yesterday nor any tomorrow, but only Now, as it was a thousand years ago and as it will be a thousand years hence.” (1)
How then am I to document my time to make it concrete – to make it more real? The easiest way is to get a notebook and write down the events of every day: your thoughts, your goals, your feelings. This has the wonderful effect of slowing time down. It is all perceptual, of course. Now my day is not moving forward in some warp speed, (2) it is being slowly documented – moment by moment. This is an interesting endeavor in itself. You will also begin to notice certain trends in your behavior, potentially discovering things that you did not even know about yourself “in the world,” so to speak. Whatever you do, the point is to make an effort to grasp the magnificence that is your life and your life alone. Baltasar Gracian, (3) the great thinker, theologian and philosopher from the Spanish Golden Age, (4) leaves us with a thought: All that really belongs to us is time; even he who has nothing else has that.
A closing thought: My grandfather had somehow captured time. He was at peace with where he was, where he had been and where he was going. I missed his message for most of my life. I was too busy to reflect on time and its intrinsic value. I appreciate that at least now I can reflect on its worth. When we finally grasp the concept of time, it is up to us as educators, teachers, parents and students to share it with all those whom we love and care for – all people for that matter. This should make us a little kinder and more respectful to others. They have their own unique time too, don’t they? This is whether they spend it well or not.
To sum up: This week, we spoke about the concept of time and how we see it. We must ask at the end of our day: “Today, did I spend my time well?” Hopefully, the answer is in the affirmative.
A philosophical question: What does time really mean to me?
Just for fun – the Rolling Stones when they were just beginning, singing “Time is on my Side”
This week, please ponder your understanding of time.
Every day look for something magical and beautiful.
Quote: The majesty of the morning sunlight can only be completed by its scintillating sunset.
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