You will find (or maybe already have found) your own special way out of feelings of helplessness and powerlessness about your relationship with time. I want to offer some viewpoints to help you to shift negative perceptions of time. Right now is the perfect time to let go of the rigid ruler of time. The Eternal Now Truly, right now is all the time you have. This idea of the "eternal now" may be a bit uncomfortable if right now you find yourself where you do not want to be. The answer to that dilemma is to enjoy something about what you are doing, appreciate where you are, and love who you are. Then, you will rejoice in the eternal now. You may find it helpful to conceptualize the "eternal now" as the time in which everything (thoughts, feelings, actions) takes place. In other words, everything happens in the present time. Nothing happens in the past (it may "have happened" in the past, but it does not "happen"). Nothing happens in the future (perhaps it "will happen" in the future). Sometimes we use language in sloppy ways that confuse the past, present, and future, but the important dynamic to understand is that all the power of creation is in the present. An Illusion: Scarcity of Time Beliefs about time seem to run parallel to beliefs about money and other resources, especially with respect to availability. We often consider time, money and other resources to be limited. It is popular to complain that there is not enough time. You might reply, You have all the time there is which is a cute retort, but not necessarily empowering. Instead, you may need to look at what precisely is "enough" time or perhaps at how you are measuring time that makes you feel short of it. What Would you Do If ... ? Many times I have helped people to get unstuck about money by asking the question, what would you do if you had a million dollars (or ten million dollars)? Many years ago, I did this exercise for myself. I took about an hour to consider, write notes, and make a list. I discovered that I would not change much of anything I was already doing, except I would set up a recording studio to make audio cassette tapes. The fascinating realization about that was that I already had a recording studio (well, a recording closet). I did not need a million dollars (lucky for me), I just needed to be clear what I wanted to do and do it. Within two months I had produced ten audio cassette tapes: from voice to music to cover all done at Marshall House. That was in the past. And now, I have lots of money and instead of building a studio, I hire someone who fulfilled his dream to build a studio. So, consider..... What would you do if you had all the time (or money, or something else) you wanted? Imagine this, using the parameters that really work for you. It will be more effective if you write down the parameters and write down your plans or dreams or goals. For example, you might decide that you want to lift off the limitation of working for a specific period of time with no responsibilities to anyone. Or go for a million dollars or ten million dollars in your bank account. Use parameters of time or money or some combination of both. Give yourself time or money enough to move through the obvious items, like taking a cruise or buying a mansion or dream car. The joy of such purchases is short-lived. The idea is to uncover what you want to do with your life, taking away the limitations that foster a belief in "not enough." Set Yourself Free; Set Another Free Sometimes the best way to set yourself free is to set someone else free. You know how well you can see the solution to someone elses situation. (I just bet you had suggestions of how I could spend that $1,000,000.) How might someone else, someone somewhat similar to you, unhook from the ruler of time? Give this person -- mythical or real -- suggestions for transforming the ruler of time. How Much is Enough? How do you know when enough of anything is enough? ...... When you are no longer hungry? When you are full to over-flowing? When everyone has agreed? When no one has disagreed? When the report has been proofread seven times? When there is just one more day to the month? When the page ends? |
