Time impoverished?

Hopefully your Christmas was merry and bright filled with lots of special gifts, good food, extended family, and moments of merriment. As the final days of 2017 are reached many feel the pressure of time. The frantic rush to accomplish more at a faster pace causes an intensified sense of time deprivation.

This time of year, many find themselves ruled by the clock and attached to a daily planner. With all the time saving techno gadgets, isn’t it odd that so many feel impoverished of time. Interestingly enough, we are living longer than our predecessors, but are we really present for that extra time?

Some diligently delegate minutes trying to spread them judiciously among the various duties and obligations. Overstuffed moments of busy-ness aren’t among the most remembered, in fact they quickly dissipate. But, quiet reflection can engender a more serene experience of time away from the hustle and bustle. This nourishing drink of quietude can garner many rich benefits.

When you reflect upon the past year, it can help determine new goals for the coming year. Did you eat healthy and stay active enough? Did you spend enough time outdoors and with family? Were you kind enough to others and yourself? Did you take enough down time to recharge and be of service? Setting explicit intentions for the New Year can catapult them into manifestation.

As you evaluate your year in review, remember compassion for yourself. It’s the reflection on challenging times that offers up the most opportunities for gaining wisdom.

Take notice of if time is slipping away or are you hurrying through it in a constant state of motion? Often unproductive time where no material result is immediately evident is considered wasted time, but both Einstein and Edison relished these moments of napping and daydreaming to access their subconscious which often assisted with solutions to problems they’d been contemplating.

In large part, we’ve lost our day of rest. With this frantic sense of life passing us by, many feel the need to be productive even on weekends. This attempt to maximize productive potential results in multi-tasking, but perhaps this unquenchable thirst for more time is simply a reminder to slow down and enjoy the moment.

Living in a state of perpetual urgency can hold a pretty hefty price tag for your health, while being in a state of flow with time can be invigorating. Those who experience moments of heightened creativity, notice a sense of timelessness that some describe as the mindfulness of the moment.

Perhaps this sense that we’re running out of time is simply a call to expand our perception of time. Noticing the ticking clock suggests that we lack a sense of sufficiency. Sports enthusiasts feel the rush of joy at a win that defies time. A joyful heart has a way of entering that place of no time. Relaxing into inner experiences can transport the self to a sense of time that has no boundaries.

Time is continually dying, departing and dissolving. Yet each new moment can inspire new beginnings. Shifting our notion of time happens when timeless moments are allowed to expand. Connections with loved ones immerse us in the moment. Stretching that awareness allows time to be experienced differently.

Have you taken time to harvest the pertinent learnings from aspects of life that will promote a happier self next year? Do you have a sense of what the world is asking of you this year? Perhaps the New Year is inviting your participation in a more co-creative model that’s begging for mindfulness.

May you infuse each moment of the New Year with the magic of attending to the now. Stay awake for the journey. Relish each precious moment. Determine how you’ll experience time and then set about making it so.