Time is a magic ingredient that sweetens every pot, flavoring our moments with wonder and love. Slowing down nourishes us and restores our balance, returning us to wholeness and ease. Given time, we are able to see with unclouded eyes and act with a patient heart. We are able to relax and soften into each moment of our lives.
The gift of time returns us to the present tense. It enables us to see, feel, taste and attend to the moment before us. It restores our vision, so we can see clearly the truths of the world. And it makes room for life to bloom in its fullest glory, in its own beautiful way.
And yet, what do we do? We kill time. We waste it. We fritter the day away. We dash through our lives at full sprint, breathless and frazzled. We run late and leave early, never quite sure where we are in time and space. And then we collapse into bed exhausted and unsteady, unsure whether we have accomplished anything of merit in the blur of the day that has passed.
Maybe we are ready to try another approach. Let's consider the possibility that we have all the time we need. Let's learn to relax into each moment and be present for its fullest bloom. Let's exhale and loosen our grasp enough to let life unfold in its own sweet rhythm and pace.
Are there any lovelier words than, "Take your time," or "We're in no hurry?" Or how about, "Slow down and savor every bite." Don't you sigh in relief at the very possibility? Doesn't that sound like a saner way to live?
Here's a beautiful truth: The best way to create more time is not to hurry but rather to take our foot off the accelerator, to downshift into a slower pace. The best way to stretch the day is to slow our bodies and our minds. The surest way to create more time is to attend fully to each moment instead of rushing past it in search of the next.
And here's another truth: Time is here for us, waiting and beckoning, today and every day. We are the ones who determine whether our moments pass slowly or quickly, whether time is killed or cherished, whether we are running short or have all the time in the world.
We are the ones who decide whether our days are wasted or put to good use. We are the ones who decide how we spend each hour that we have been given. Time is a great prioritizer, after all, requiring us to publicly declare through our actions what we care most about in any given day. We might ask ourselves from time to time whether the activity at hand is truly worth the few hours of daylight we have been given.
In the days ahead, perhaps we might move into a more faithful relationship with time. We might respect its slower, hidden movements and trust that all things happen at their own pace. We might remember that moving at a slower pace will guide us toward a deeper sense of presence in the world.
Let's spend each moment carefully. Let's not waste a minute or kill an hour. Let's move slowly and linger often. Let's slow down enough to truly live all the moments of our days.
Thank you for the perfect writing when waking up to a long list of “to do”.