Creating time

I’ve been attempting to use my left hand lately. And even though I’m partly ambidextrous, it’s awkward and inconvenient. Some tasks are taking longer to complete. Also, I forget and unconsciously use my right, then I have try again with my left.

If you’re wondering what I’m up to, understand I’m creating time!

I’ve been fascinated lately with the idea that time is speeding up. By fascinated I mean stressed about it. While I’m at a stage of life when I have more time to do the things I want to do, it feels like time is advancing faster than ever. I can only imagine what it must feel like for those of you balancing jobs, children at home, and all sorts of other responsibilities I don’t have at the moment.

I recently found an article on HuffPost.com that might explain the phenomenon. As we age, our brains perceive that time is speeding up because we are inclined to be in a rut of doing the same things in the same way day after day, says Cindy Lustig, a professor of psychology at the University of Michigan. Even though a day in the life of retired person seems to go by more slowly than it might to a school-aged kid, when both people look back on a month or a year, that period of time will seem like it went by faster to the older person.

That’s because the older person is looking back on fewer events, and it’s the new and exciting things we do that make the days and months feel richer and therefore longer. Thus, my little left-hand experiment.

Also, I’m trying new things. This past weekend: flying a two-line stunt kite and kundalini yoga. Both fun. Both challenging. The kite kept crashing, and I had to learn to handle it with a light touch which felt counter-intuitive. The kundalini breath work dried out my throat and lips, and I had to work on letting go of my thoughts to relax into its rhythm.

So, one key to creating time seems to be getting comfortable with discomfort.

I believe we are so conditioned to sidestep discomfort that we forget its value. We often try to numb or distract ourselves from feeling awkwardness or fear, and while this may bring a temporary feeling of security, it can’t guarantee safety. It also has some unwanted consequences, like speeding up time.

When we choose to stay in the uncomfortable moment, suspending thought and embracing sensation, we can find gifts like courage, clarity, and the sensation of spacious time.

Of course, physicists and meta-physicists alike point out that time is not linear. That’s why learning to be in the present moment is also crucial to creating time. Even James Taylor once sang, “The thing about time is that time is not really real. It’s just a point of view, how does it feel for you?”

He also noted in the same song, “The secret of life is enjoying (my emphasis) the passage of time. Any fool can do it…” Apparently, even one who is struggling to perform tasks with her left hand.

Want to cultivate a greater enjoyment of time? Check out my tools to help you let go of the minutiae, stay in the present moment, and flow with your higher wisdom at RememberYourWings.com.