Precious Time
My experience of time is shifting once again. I cherish each day, yet it seems the days fly by faster and faster, quickly turning into weeks, then months, all gone by in what seems to be the blink of an eye. People tell me that is common, it’s what happens as we grow older. Get used to it, they say.
I don’t want to get used to it! I want to expand time, to slow it down, to savor and appreciate each moment! It can be done, I know. I’ve done it before. When I am fully in the present moment, immersed in a creative project, or outside in nature watching the birds and bees, time doesn’t seem to exist. Seconds, minutes, and hours passing mean nothing because the oneness and the inspiration being experienced is all that is important. Once I return to clock time I see that a certain quantity of time has passed, yet it still is meaningless and insignificant when compared to the joy of creative expression and peace-filled beauty.
The most challenging ‘time’ for me has been that spent taking care of the seemingly endless tasks of life, most of which require attention that I would rather focus elsewhere. Time can be quickly frittered away, and lost forever. The to-do list gets a few items crossed off, only to be replaced by new tasks for the next days to come. The good news is that recently that sense of lost time is disappearing, as I learn to relish each small task. When I immerse myself fully in that mundane activity, with conscious attention, it blossoms into something sacred. Being in that present moment, appreciating the details and intricacies of the form to be filled out, the sink drain to be repaired, or the toilet to be cleaned, I can find a richness as fulfilling as the creative projects and the nature outings. When I honor the task, commune with its purpose, and feel into its being, the sense of it being a ‘waste of my time’ dissolves. In its place are the feelings of oneness, harmony, and ease. My body and mind relax into that newly sacred feeling, and I am grateful I have the skills needed to complete the task. Afterwards, I breathe, thank myself, thank Spirit, enjoy the next period of timelessness in peace, and then, when ready, move on to what is next in my day. It’s a pleasure to feel satisfied with more segments of my day, and to know that I am learning to make the most of the precious time of my life.
