Have you ever thought about Time not as a force determining what tasks we can do daily and the moments of our days but as an empowering force? Not as a force that leaves you without any options but a force that brings forth opportunities?
Time is indeed a dimension that we must get acquainted with so that its grip does not feel so overwhelming.
I want to start by enjoying a stroll around our beautiful solar system to perceive and understand how our 24 hours are imbedded in the rotation of Earth on its axis bringing our busy days and our most cherished nights. One full rotation of Earth gives us the days and nights and one full rotation of the Moon around Earth is a month. If we go a little more closer towards our life’s source, our Sun, a full rotation of Earth around the Sun will bring us to celebrate the New Year. According to the Yogi tradition, we can do even more with this dimension and go further away into our galaxy where Time also influences our lives thru more universal cycles or Yugas.
The influence of Earth, Moon, the Sun and all the planets in our life is very significant time wise. But why did man choose to time Life? Why did man use our solar system and main celestial objects to create a sense of time and manage life here on this planet? What was the need to account for each second, minute, hour, and day on this existence?
I am sure that Earth, the Moon and the Sun wont object to just being appreciated by their natural rhythm and importance in our lives, above Time itself. Sun is our only source of energy and light without which no life on this planet can survive. Just appreciating its existence will bring fabulous wellbeing to our minds and bodies. Making sure to look at the Sun and acknowledge its presence each day will change our lives for the better and quickly.
I will take two steps back to re-take one of the previous questions about Time: Why did man choose to time Life? Why do we have to wear devices that remind us every second what Time is every second? The conspicuousness of Time is rather overwhelming for our nervous system. It truly feels heavy in our system and in our souls and spirits to carry such a burden around all the time. Not that Time is a burden itself but rather the way in which we have been forced to have it present all the time. You can even catch yourself asking “What time is it?” often and unnecessarily. Almost in the same way that we carry phone devices around often and unnecessarily not having to do so and that now have reinforced even more the attachment to Time.
Humans have a natural longing and inclination to be free from attachments whether you have realized this fact or not. Becoming free from the grip of Time will greatly support our search for freedom. Breaking the bondage with Time will ensure that we see Time not as the wristwatch that we wear but as a process that involves each of us. Existentially, the universe expands and expands without regard for any universal time, clock, or time management, just as a cosmic process. We are also a part of this cosmic process at a very small scale.
When we say time is passing by what we are truly saying is that our lives are passing by. We would want to find a way to slow down the process of Life so that it is not so interconnected to Time but more to Life itself and the Life that resides in us. Life is a natural process no matter what Time the clock displays. That another hour passed by while I type this up is of no relevance to my Life. That it is 6pm or 8pm or even that tomorrow will be another day is also of no relevance as Time freezes the moment I am engaged with my work, with this Newsletter and with the things I want to convey on it happily and joyfully. In other words, Time can either crush you down or lift you up, which will make a difference in how you perceive and go thru Time.
Since there is so much to say about Time, once again I did not get to answer the open question: Why did man choose to time Life? Earth anyways rotates and we cant feel it. We dont get nauseous or dizzy while it spins and it does not stop spinning, like a professional dancer it just rotates on and on. So, why the need to break days and nights into 24 hours? I am very capable of determining when it is clear or dark. But now I dont pay attention with my own two eyes to the days and nights and to the natural rhythm of the universe as I just pay attention and rely on a clock to let me know whether dawn is breaking already or whether the sunset has winded down in the horizon. I am missing out on the beauty and the essence of my lifetime in this fashion.
Time has a larger effect in our lives that we can recognize and understand. Just think about the stress it creates, the daily worries it brings, the uncertainty and anxiety that arise while we face its display on every wall and on every corner, plus its management and following up, all of these facts feel as insane as the fact that we learned to time the solar system and every second of this lifetime. However, we have not understood the benefits of separating the Time in a clock and Life as a human process, which albeit Time records can perfectly and in good order survive well and thrive even in timeless times.
Why did man choose to time Life? I can say maybe that was not the intended outcome. Maybe man’s need for control took him to the solar system. Maybe it was a process of keen observation by our ancestors and wanting to live in tandem with other celestial bodies that influence our lives here. Maybe auto-managing ourselves to insane proportions was not the intended outcome either. One thing is certain though, the less natural we are and feel and the more we get attached to non-natural rhythms and artificial devices, the less we see the damage to our wellbeing.
Becoming timeless from time to time will allow the body and the mind to regain the freedom that both the body and the mind are so desperately seeking and longing for. The next time you feel the need to ask “What time is it?” just remember that no matter what time it is, you can always choose to feel vibrant and well in timelessness.
