Thoughts on Time

Days, weeks, months, years, minutes, hours, seconds. The past, the present, the future. Time. What is this thing called time?

“Time is an observed phenomenon, by means of which human beings sense and record changes in the environment and in the universe. A literal definition is elusive. Time has been called an illusion, a dimension, a smooth-flowing continuum, and an expression of separation among events that occur in the same physical location.” - WhatIs.com

“We perceive time as past, present and future. The most real perception of time appears to be in the moment we call present, however, almost all of what we perceive as the present is already past. The present is a fleeting moment; whatever is happening now (present) is confined to an infinitesimally narrow point on the timeline which is being encroached upon by what we think of as the past and the future. Present resembles the sharp point of a recording laser or needle; it may be the mental awareness of recording of memory as it is being inscribed into our brain. A person who goes to an event but falls asleep would have no recollection of it as if the event did not exist in his past. Unless we are consciously aware of an event it does not seem to enter our past memory.

Unlike the present, the past and future are measurable durations of time. Past historical events, a meeting, or a wedding reception, are all measurable durations or extensions in time, just like a recorded material on tape. This similarity suggests that past is just a recorded memory, while future can be compared to an unrecorded tape.” -timephysics.com

We know that in the Universal field of all there is, there is no time. Everything that IS, exists in the here and now. All that is happening, is happening now. Every story in a parallel Universe, every star exploding, every dimension, every synchronicity, every human moment, every atom that’s in motion – it’s all moving, existing, being in this very moment. And in each moment, it changes. The past is past and although we may recall a past memory or event, it really has no charge, as it no longer exists. It WAS. We know that the future hasn’t happened yet. It doesn’t exist - which is why the future is so cool. We are deliberate creators; we "get to" create our future in every now moment.

We often say we don’t have enough time or that it's going too fast. I used to wish for 72 hours in every day. My mom and I used to talk about how as kids, time seemed to stand still – especially when we were in school or doing something we disliked. And she would always mention “the older you get, the faster time goes.”

And now, it seems no matter what your age, time is flying by at warp speed.

It’s so true. I’ve never experienced anything like it. In a span of 2 ½ years, I made a huge decision to leave my 15 year relationship. I then moved into my own place with my kid; 6 months later, I moved to Malibu. One year after that, I moved back to San Diego and another year later, to Los Angeles.

In that span of time, I came up against massive walls and deep inner work. I learned new intuitive processes and techniques. I met up with a few soul-mates and did some crazy-deep karmic clearing around relationships. I restructured my entire business and committed to business coaching (which is still evolving), met my soul-life-partner (it took us 9 months before we began our relationship), left my music career, did more deep releasing, healed my heart and then, committed to a lifetime with my love.

When I think about all that transpired, I sometimes have to shake my head to see if I’m really awake. Some days, it feels like that 2 ½ years was a period of 5 years or more; other times it feels like 20 major life events happened in the blink of an eye. It feels like time is truly moving at the speed of light.

But is it really? Or are we just experiencing personal and planetary ascension – that is, rising above duality and ego? An awakening and elevating of consciousness, bringing in a new way of being and perceiving. I personally believe this is true. Science has all kinds of theories, but if this physical life is just an illusion, then there’s a lot more to it than their theories.

I’m sitting here writing this on 11/11/15; a very powerful day of change. I participated in a meditation that had us merge with our true essence, with Mother Earth and Source – releasing the illusion of time. I know in the moment we released it, it ceased to exist. I know in the very moment we set strong intentions for love and healing all over the planet, it happened. The world and I had changed in one instant.

That belief has real power.

But if you release time, how can you possibly live in the real world? I mean, we all have schedules to keep, places to be. We live by time. So how in the world can you rise above it?

First things first

My partner prompted me to stop wearing my watch a few months ago. I resisted at first. But I was tired of always checking the time. Granted, I work for myself, so I don’t have to punch a clock for someone else. I still have obligations, appointments, coaching sessions and programs. So I schedule those in my daytimer, calendar or phone as reminders. But more importantly, I found that when I “lost the watch,” I lost the stress. I lost track of time. So, I started creating a schedule that brought me more productivity and more freedom to do the “timeless” things I love to do. Like writing, walking, painting and singing. I began to spend more time living in and experiencing the present moment. I now focus daily on one thing at a time, giving it my full attention, then go onto the next thing. I get more done and have more "time."

The importance of the present moment

Eckhart Tolle says, “Your primary purpose is to be here fully, and to be total in whatever you do so that the preciousness of the present moment does not become reduced to a means to an end. And there you have your life purpose. That's the very foundation of your life."

When we reminisce about past events and they bring us joy, we can use that present moment experience of beautiful past memories to lift our vibrations. A child’s birth; a marriage; a celebration; a healing or synchronicity. Keep your reminiscing to that. Don't give energy or power to old, painful memories. They don’t serve you in any way, other than to keep you stuck in your old, negative belief patterns. Old memories don’t even need to be remembered for healing. They happened. They no longer exist. Don't recreate them and don’t allow ego to pull you back in.

If we stay focused on the future, several things can happen. We can set an intention for a positive outcome or something we wish to achieve. We can create a vision board showing what we want and look to it often to help create it in the future. This is something positive and a great tool. However, if we focus on what we want but then become anxious or depressed that we don’t yet have it, not only do we take our power to create away, but we become stressed or sick. We take away our ability to enjoy what we have right now. In reality, as we set that intention for our future “wish” and give thanks for it already being a part of our current reality, we are intending it, seeing it and feeling it – in the present moment. Right now. And it’s in that present moment that we can either create a positive future moment for ourselves or a negative one.

And of course, living in the present moment is a practice. It’s not easy. Years ago, I committed to immerse myself in Eckhart Tolle’s books A New Earth and The Power of Now. When I did, things began to happen. One day I was sitting outside reading, and I began noticing the wind blowing through the trees. Not only did I notice it, but I started to have unusual, beautiful experiences with it. I practiced connecting with the wind and the trees as often as I could. I became one with them. I can’t really explain it, but it was surreal and magical. Not only did time stand still, it ceased to exist in that moment. It became a meditative practice.

If you force yourself to live outside of time (even if you’re getting the kids ready for school), you can practice this. If we can learn to be still and timeless even in the midst of chaos, we can really “be here now.” Try small snippets of living outside of time, of savoring the present moment. Pretend that each thing you do is sacred. It’s like you’re making love to each experience.

Savor your morning coffee or tea. Smell it, feel the warmth of the cup and the way the rising steam creates small pearls of condensation on your upper lip before you take a sip. Move the liquid around your mouth, feeling and tasting it. Do the same thing with your food, your conversations and your work tasks. You can even do this while vacuuming and doing laundry. Focus on the one thing you’re doing. Experience it. Feel it, listen for what it’s saying to you. Make each moment last as long as you can. Make it juicy.

Rushing through your moments or hating them is what makes time flash before your eyes. It also creates a sense of urgency to get to the next thing, along with disappointment, disillusionment, a lack of fulfillment; a feeling of “is that all there is?” It also makes you feel like you’re in a race, trying to get to some kind of finish line. But when you get there, there’s no prize. Just another damn race.

Don’t use time as an excuse. If you’re feeling big resistance around something you know you need to do, push through and do it anyway. I have had many potential clients come to me, knowing that working with a coach was their next step. But they were terrified. They all used the excuse of not enough time or money and then, went MIA. Use your “time” wisely. What you resist persists. If you really want change, you will always find the time and the money to do it. Whether you believe it or not, there’s an abundance of both and plenty of creative solutions. If you use time as an excuse and allow yourself to stay stuck, another year will quickly roll by and you’ll still be standing in the same place. There’s no time like the present.

And, slow down. Breathe. Create a schedule you can live with and focus FULLY on one thing at a time. When your mind wants to take you back to the co-worker in your office that tattled on you yesterday, say or think STOP. Just STOP. It’s a distraction to keep you from having JOY right now in this moment. When your mind wants to take you to tomorrow, when you have to drop the kids off at the ex’s house (your worst nightmare), say or think STOP. Just STOP. It’s a distraction to keep you from creating your best work; from savoring your now. If you hate your job and you ego wants to remind you of how bad it is while you’re trying to focus on your now, say or think STOP. Just STOP. You can find one thing to focus on that creates joy. Even if it’s just an affirmation. And then, quit your damn job. If you think you have to stay in a job that doesn’t serve you, guess again. You have a choice.

It’s true that time waits for no one. Neither does life. Even though it’s all an illusion, a story - you signed up to experience it. So do it. In the blink of an eye, it will all come to an end and we’ll move on to the next chapter. Carpe diem!