How often do we find ourselves stressed out because of time? Whether or not we have enough time to accomplish something, whether or not we have given ourselves enough time to complete certain tasks, whether or not we can give our own time to help another, or—a big one—whether or not we’re going to get somewhere on time. (And if we aren’t, how will we make up for that?)
Time is a huge priority. It takes up a hefty part of our brains, and working with and around it can cause a great deal of worry.
Everyone has a certain amount of time on Earth, and what we accomplish during that time is the way we mark our place in society. It seems that there’s never enough time to get done what we are supposed to have done, and when doing what we are supposed to, we might end up neglecting time for other things. Time that we promised to spend with a loved one, time to walk our dogs (or, in my case, cats), and, most often neglected, time to ourselves.
How is it that we have all this time given to us, and yet there never seems to be enough of it? How is it that we end up underslept and overworked, and yet we still promise out time that we don’t have? I’ve read that the biggest gift you can give to another person is your time. To sit down with a dear one, whether it be a partner, your child, a good friend, or maybe even a stranger on the street, and offer them your full attention. Do we offer that kind of attention to our own self, and treat ourself like a dear person?
How do we balance time in life and know when it’s time to act on something, or know when it’s time to wait? I was inspired by this subject when I took my walk today. We had, as you all know, a strange winter, and spring. We had a pretty cold winter that lasted a long time. We had heavy snow, and cold. Our spring (although in full force right now) was delayed. Where I live, in the Highlands, we usually get beautiful wildflowers showing up in mid-March. I was worried this spring that they might never show up, as it had been so cold; maybe they would die before getting to their glory phase. Yet, when we finally got our spring weather, almost two months late, the flowers came out. They had been waiting patiently under the ground for the right time, whenever that might be.
This seemed to me a big lesson in balancing time. We don’t need to rush around and worry so much about whether or not we have time. Letting go (like the wildflowers did) and allowing time to take care of itself is proper balance, and I need to take care of myself in order to have my time in the sun.