Time. It has always been a foreign concept for me. I have never possessed a great concept of time or had interest in owning a watch. (Maybe that has something to do with my lack of amusement when around numbers.) The truth is, I personally, do not think time, aside from this very moment, actually exists. There is only this moment, and then the next this moment.
Often times we end up spending our lives focused on the future, in anticipation or perhaps anxiety, focusing on times which do not yet exist. The imagination creating stories by filling the day with past stories and future projections. I’m not saying I think we should abandon ship, and not have any idea which direction we are headed, cruising through life blindly, but staying in this moment that is happening, this second where you are and where you can feel joyful is my message. It allows you slow down all the senses, it is where peace is; where grace lives.
So now, I invite you to try this short exercise.
Close your eyes for a moment. Take a few deep breaths in, releasing all expectations of yourself. Let go.
Stay here as long as you need to breathing deeply.
That is living in real time. In this moment, this is who you are, all that truly exists and it is pure bliss.
My sweet daughter, who is 8, and has Mild Intellectual Disability, has really opened up my eyes to just how abstract this idea of time is. She has always struggled with the concept of time. Her own language around time is endearing and makes so much sense. “Yesteryear”(last year), and “last day” (yesterday), why not? I know what this all means. Sometimes she becomes frustrated with the idea of all the tomorrows, asking, “is it happening thistomorrow? Or the nexttomorrow?” I feel you sweetie. There are a lot of tomorrows all lined up to be had.
So here is my gentle reminder: there is so much comfort in the present, staying focused on today, this moment, right where we are; now. All of the tomorrows can wait.