Entering the Busy Season

sassy
Welcome to October! I had to say that because I absolutely love this Time of Year. Crispy leaves and cool nights – not to mention colors! Goodbye heat and humidity! Lovely to be outside, lovely to turn off the A/C and lovely to rake all those leaves! Well, truthfully I just let mine stay on the ground and rot. Great fertilizer, you know. It’s also a great Time to watch moonrises because they tend toward the big, fat and orange. Nature loves to show off her magic in October!

October is also the last month of the year that is a mostly “holiday-free zone.” Perhaps a great occasion to think about Time, because we’re all about to be in short supply of it. I could go on and on listing all the ways you’ll be busy from now until the end of the year, but I think you all already know. So let’s get straight to the bones of the thing – how can we bring the spiritual into our concept of Time, possibly making the next two months less stressful and more joyful.

Personally, I have a life-long love/hate affair with Time. I love it! Lots of it! As long as it belongs to me, that is. I tend to be a Time-hoarder, and resent all stretches of it that have labels like “obligation” or “on the Time clock” or “waste of my” on them. The good news is: Time can be your friend.

How to Make Friends With Time

Eckart Tolle (The Power of Now guy) talks about two kinds of Time – clock Time and psychological Time. Clock Time is “I have set aside 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. to do housework today.” Psychological Time is “It stinks that I have to do housework today.” More or less.

The point is that like with any relationship, it’s how you treat Time that creates how you experience it. If Time is going to be your best bud, helping you move through the busy days ahead, the trick is to turn it into an ally.

Usually we think of Time as a duration of experience. It’s a sequential thing – past, present and future. Each moments slips relentlessly into the past and we perceive it as gone. Each new moment is forever ahead of us, in other words, we never get there. Where does that leave us? Right here, right now. And right now is when Time is the best friend you ever had.

And the Trick Is…

We have our schedules and we make our plans. That’s all fine and dandy. But (and here’s the kicker) how much of your attention is usurped by what happened yesterday, or what you have to do tomorrow? A good example is the complete ruination of a beautiful Sunday evening because your mind keeps dwelling on work Monday morning at 8 a.m. Now whether you love or hate your job isn’t the point. The point is if you kept your attention on the beautiful Sunday evening, then Time (who’s suddenly become very friendly) will stretch and unwind. The pressure is off and there is nothing but this amazing present moment that belongs to you.

So many wonderful things happen in the here/now. Toads hop, birds chirrup and chatter and children laugh at their toes. The gifts of Time are infinite when you simply rest your attention just where and when you are.

Toad

So when you are standing in a long line waiting to pay for your holiday purchases, instead of getting impatient (with all the toe-tapping and deep sighs that includes) why not look around you? I mean, the clerks went to all that trouble to put up pretty lights and colorful baubles, why not enjoy them? Also in that line are other people, sighing and toe-tapping themselves. If you begin to enjoy your “waiting in line” experience, you will be surprised at how the entire mood around you seems to shift. Smile at it all.

No Time is wasted, ever, unless you choose to do so. Even if your present activity or experience seems pointless, dull or even unpleasant – you can change all of that in an infinite moment. Simply settle yourself right where you are in Time and space and watch the show. Really observe it, like you are a recently landed alien seeing Earth and all her wonders for the very first Time. Allow it to become part of you.

Here’s a good quote to end with this month.

Each thing I do I rush through so I can do something else.
Stephen Dobyns — “Pursuit” - Cemetery Nights, 1987

Really, what’s the rush?

Peace,
Tee

Email me at teespirit@gmail.com
The Show