Time and Change
Time is constantly moving. In fact time invisibly escapes through the crevasse of space. Time is in constant forward motion and as I write this time is moving forward silently. Yes,. We may be ‘still’ at a moment but time is never still: One moment, or a second flows into minutes; minutes into hours; hours to days; days collapses into weeks; and, weeks into months and months to years. Before we can think, decades have passed and we continue on until the time we have on Earth dissolves into another dimension. Earth Time is finite. Time is limited on the Earth plane, yet this limited time itself allows life to experience infinity in a moment.
The concept of living in the moment, or living in the present has become quite popular. It’s the new modern mantra of the West. Many experts preach ‘living in the present’. One’s present does not belong to anyone. The fact is, living in the present is about grasping both internal the external reality. This means not living in the glory or misfortune of the past, or the expectation of the future.
Of course, working towards future goals is good, but in actuality it is not required. Someone can simply live with no future expectations, or for that matter without desires. Time is personal and the time of one’s existence is subjective, so living in the present is actually a goal that most cannot achieve simply by sitting in silence. The mind will move to the past, flashing into the future, the wondering on all the activities on the list of ‘to-dos’.
I challenge you to sit in silence and focus on something without moving your mind.
Time measured in past tense or future tense is in actuality an illusion because the only active and real time is the present moment. When the mind goes back in time and thoughts and memories replay past situations and circumstances we actually lose time. The present is wasted if this practice is frequent. Learning from the past, or reminiscing is not the same as mentally living in past memories. When one is able to effectively bring past learning and experiences to positively affect one’s present state; then, actively exercising the art of reflection minus reliving the past helps living in the present reality. Conversely, if one spends too much time thinking and dreaming of tomorrow the present is then side-stepped. Thus, a projected reality has to be counterbalanced with one’s present life.
Moving forward starts with the present. Change begins with trusting in the forward motion, and also starts with the present. Change can happen with purpose (as with an individuated purpose), by chance, and/or simply fate. The quality of change depends on one’s ability to navigate time. The imposition of time is quite different. When others, society, our jobs, etc. require our time and activity, time then becomes an imposition. The imposition can be stressful especially when it is outside of our control.
All people resonate with and within their own personal life cycles and timing. Sometimes it is easy to meld with others’ time and reality. It is important to try and understand one’s life within one’s own context and of choices and decisions. Often times, we project our personal timeline onto the external world, and depending on how well one is able to live in their present determines how clearly one is able to navigate the present timeline. Ultimately, time and change is subjective.
So, someone following through with their own life’s decisions in their lifetime and allowing time to manifest quietly without fear or stress; and, simply allowing time to unfold as the Will of the Universe helps to bring about understanding of one’s own self process and timing. There is a certain level of knowledge that one attains in observing the effect of time and delving into the source of one’s reality.
The present give way continuously to the future and the future is literally the next moment. Man is always trying to find means and ways to access a map to the future: What will happen to our lives? Where will I be in time to come? Will I be successful? There are so many questions. Whatever your personal reality, there is a general flow of the times we live in and much of the world’s events do affect our decisions. The country we live in has importance in how our experiences are shaped. Many try to tailor their lives in preparation of the unknown based on the past and history.
Well, all of time is uncertain. The one thing that is certain is that one day our life’s time will run out. No one survives time because time is the great dissolver and conqueror. Ultimately, we must learn how to work with time, including others’ time. We may want to be rid of worries and hardship but honouring time with patience and striving for knowledge and understanding does help. The constant forward movement ticks away and most people struggle with the fact that time is ticking away. Some of us constantly work with deadlines whether in our personal life or our work life.
Time marks beginnings and ends. What exists between the time markers is life. If we can only manipulate time to our advantage! What if I tell you there is a way to bend time? Would you believe me? This may sound like magic. It is possible and it is magical as we grow and understand that time has both physical and spiritual significance. In the physical reality time has mathematical significance. In the spiritual aspect time has metaphysical dimensions. If one can master time and know how to mentally use it, life may not seem so stressful. The ability to know how to use one’s life’s energy and also mental energy has a profound effect on how one uses their time. Energy and time is intertwined in with the external (physical) and the internal (spiritual).
Our inner world of thoughts, perception and emotions all lends to the material reality. To reach a point of complete acceptance and appreciation of one’s journey is beyond external impositions and societal control. The inner reality is where the perception of all time and space takes place. Science might attempt to uncover this and to explore levels of consciousness but it is a mere manipulation of material. The inner processes of time are more spiritual and thus science could never precede or supersede the spiritual and what is ultimately embedded in consciousness.
Simply living and being in the time is what I call living-time; it is present and alive. Thus living life and embracing all that is good and bad allows the invisible hand of time to lead us to our destiny.