TIME! And How It's Ruining Your Life.
In this ever-changing world, the perceived notion that faster is better is just... wrong. Here's why!
I remember the days of 'bigger is better,' and I'm not entirely sure that perception isn't still valid, but there was a definable reason as to why bigger could be better. It was tangible; something you could hold in your hand, or sit in and drive.
Now, if you tie in the notion of faster being better, then it really depends on what you're referring to. Ninety percent of the time, however, faster is not better.
Sure, faster is better if you're late for an important meeting and the freeway (somehow magically) is actually free and flowing. Faster is also better if you're bedridden with the flu and the time between your incubation and salvation is short.
This world is becoming increasingly dependent on time stretching and shrinking to the will of man. But it doesn't work like that. Time is time, and though sometimes it may seem like something (insert problem) is taking forever, or that your kids grew up in the blink of an eye, it's not time's fault; it's not even our fault, it's just time, neither to be worshiped or blamed for the events that unfold in our lives.
Yet, we continuously become frustrated and upset with time. Indeed time has been the cause of wars and love stories alike. You may be facing time's unrelenting pressures right now as you read this article, with one eye on the clock in your office.
We spend our days checking our wrists, or gazing at walls for the world to tell us if we're on time, or if time is on time.
"What time is it?"
"When will you be there?"
"Where the hell is my pizza? I ordered like... 5 minutes ago."
"Why is it taking so long?"
"THURSDAY? You mean you can't have my dry cleaning done in ten minutes? What's wrong with this place?"
And the list goes on.
I don't write this article because I've somehow managed to avoid becoming a victim of my old enemy, time. I write this as a prisoner of it who is just now learning to stop trying to tunnel my way out, through, and around it. Instead, I'm learning to sit on the stained mattress supported by rusty springs, hands folded in, and just allow time to be time and for me to be me. After all, the walls that surround me are entirely put in place by me.
Here's an observation that you can either choose to build walls around yourself with, or dismantle them and discover some freedom: if you are constantly stressed out and unnecessarily angry, you might be a redneck. No, sorry. That's not it. You might be impatient, is the word I was looking for.
Raise your hand if this applies to you. If you see your coworkers raising their hands right now, they may also be reading this article. The truth is, it applies to all of us. We're not entirely to blame for this time-starved-culture, we are saddled with it day in and day out. Commercials push us into thinking 'I NEED that NOW,' and then when we get it, whatever that is, we are dissatisfied after a very short period of TIME. Hmm, interesting. Why is that do you suppose?
Because you didn't have the appreciation that is born out of patience.
If we could always just have whatever we wanted whenever we wanted it then anticipation wouldn't exist and if anticipation didn't exist, then it's possible that excitement would cease to exist, at least with any long-lasting effect.
Scientists, perhaps, would have to create a chemical stimulant for your mind that emulates the feeling of anticipation.
The label may read something like this: "Warning! May cause a sense of excitement and a realistic perception of time and its benefits."
As I sit here writing this article, I noticed my eye floating up toward the clock in the upper-right of my screen. "Stop it. I'm writing an article about this for goodness sake."
Look, none of us are perfect, but if we can resist the urge to check the clock every ten minutes and just learn to appreciate the moment(s) we're in, then perhaps the world will slow down with us.
Now hurry up and get back to work.
I remember the days of 'bigger is better,' and I'm not entirely sure that perception isn't still valid, but there was a definable reason as to why bigger could be better. It was tangible; something you could hold in your hand, or sit in and drive.
Now, if you tie in the notion of faster being better, then it really depends on what you're referring to. Ninety percent of the time, however, faster is not better.
Sure, faster is better if you're late for an important meeting and the freeway (somehow magically) is actually free and flowing. Faster is also better if you're bedridden with the flu and the time between your incubation and salvation is short.
This world is becoming increasingly dependent on time stretching and shrinking to the will of man. But it doesn't work like that. Time is time, and though sometimes it may seem like something (insert problem) is taking forever, or that your kids grew up in the blink of an eye, it's not time's fault; it's not even our fault, it's just time, neither to be worshiped or blamed for the events that unfold in our lives.
Yet, we continuously become frustrated and upset with time. Indeed time has been the cause of wars and love stories alike. You may be facing time's unrelenting pressures right now as you read this article, with one eye on the clock in your office.
We spend our days checking our wrists, or gazing at walls for the world to tell us if we're on time, or if time is on time.
"What time is it?"
"When will you be there?"
"Where the hell is my pizza? I ordered like... 5 minutes ago."
"Why is it taking so long?"
"THURSDAY? You mean you can't have my dry cleaning done in ten minutes? What's wrong with this place?"
And the list goes on.
I don't write this article because I've somehow managed to avoid becoming a victim of my old enemy, time. I write this as a prisoner of it who is just now learning to stop trying to tunnel my way out, through, and around it. Instead, I'm learning to sit on the stained mattress supported by rusty springs, hands folded in, and just allow time to be time and for me to be me. After all, the walls that surround me are entirely put in place by me.
Here's an observation that you can either choose to build walls around yourself with, or dismantle them and discover some freedom: if you are constantly stressed out and unnecessarily angry, you might be a redneck. No, sorry. That's not it. You might be impatient, is the word I was looking for.
Raise your hand if this applies to you. If you see your coworkers raising their hands right now, they may also be reading this article. The truth is, it applies to all of us. We're not entirely to blame for this time-starved-culture, we are saddled with it day in and day out. Commercials push us into thinking 'I NEED that NOW,' and then when we get it, whatever that is, we are dissatisfied after a very short period of TIME. Hmm, interesting. Why is that do you suppose?
Because you didn't have the appreciation that is born out of patience.
If we could always just have whatever we wanted whenever we wanted it then anticipation wouldn't exist and if anticipation didn't exist, then it's possible that excitement would cease to exist, at least with any long-lasting effect.
Scientists, perhaps, would have to create a chemical stimulant for your mind that emulates the feeling of anticipation.
The label may read something like this: "Warning! May cause a sense of excitement and a realistic perception of time and its benefits."
As I sit here writing this article, I noticed my eye floating up toward the clock in the upper-right of my screen. "Stop it. I'm writing an article about this for goodness sake."
Look, none of us are perfect, but if we can resist the urge to check the clock every ten minutes and just learn to appreciate the moment(s) we're in, then perhaps the world will slow down with us.
Now hurry up and get back to work.
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