Everyone talks about time. Perhaps everything has already been said with regards to time. And perhaps, this post will not be new or inspirational to anyone. If this resonates in any way with any of you, I hope you will share your thoughts with me. So, time...
Time is one of those words that has great power attached to it. Time is moving through us and by us every single second we live.
Sure, we have lots of things to do, dreams to fulfill, and responsibilities to handle. Yet, it all comes down to time. Time to do, time to create, time to fulfill, time to handle. Time.
Some of us may feel burdened by time. We don't have enough time for all we want to accomplish or for all we have committed to do. Some may feel time creates stress in our daily lives. Yet, time is not the culprit. It doesn't create the stress. Stress is the direct result of overcommitment and not yielding to the needs of our inner spirit.
So, if time is all we have, how do we use this time in the most rewarding and joyful way?
The Greeks have two words for time. The first, chronos, is chronological time and speaks to the actual passage of time. This is what we most often refer to when speaking of time. Notice there is no joy in this definition — no life in this definition. One might suggest it is simply the progression towards death — this tick-tocking passage of time.
I much prefer the other Greek word for time — kairos. It means the quality of the time. It refers to those moments when you actually lose awareness of the passing of time. However you are choosing to spend the time, it is so joyful and pleasurable that you actually have no idea how much time has actually elapsed. What's more, you probably don't care.
This is a word full of life. This kind of time is full of love and is how memories are made. And when our time is filled in this way, it creates a permanent impression in our mind. It adds yet another facet to the prism of our heart.
When given the choice, we can choose this way to spend whatever moments we have left. We can choose this way to protect our moments from anything that erodes the pleasurable quality of any moment during this lifetime. After all, what else is there?
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As we drift toward middle-age-dom, we start to focus more on the time we have left. In our youth, that was not the case. In our youth, we were carefree, time didn't matter. Now, time seems so precious and fleeting, every moment needing to be feeling, meaningful.
ReplyDeleteWhen we look at our children, do we admire or admonish their ability to live in the moment?
IDK.
Very thoughtful response and very well said.
ReplyDeleteMy youth was not the same. I remember my youth as filled with kairos and I relished time that was full of meaning and feeling. My belief system is very Eastern in thought, so I have always had a grave respect for time.
As for my children... I am thrilled with every carefree moment they create. I am saddened as the responsibilities are lade on them.
Thank you for your thoughts.