Time Can't Fly

Time flies when you’re having fun, they say, and it stands still when you’re not. But after a while it all averages out to be about the same speed: still pretty darn fast.

So how do you get time to slow down? You can’t. Duh. Neither can you beat it in a footrace. Neither can you build a machine that can fly faster than it. So, clip its wings by not playing its game. Stop being so busy, always looking ahead. Sit down and remember a good time from the past. When you do this, you truly “have time” because it is your time you are remembering. Reclaim the value of a moment by enjoying the life you have lived.

The Time Trap

Do I even need to say our world is fast-paced? Ok, I won’t. We know we don’t have forever, so we hustle to build the best life we can be proud of. We’re taught to value every minute as if our life were a manufacturing facility: crank out meaningful minutes or you’re losing! True, each minute is a valuable asset, and the way we choose to spend it has profound implications for our lives. But I wonder if the pressure to obsessively measure every minute contributes to anxiety and other emotions of inadequacy that plague us. We idolize those with ADHD: Always Determined, Hustling and Driven. You are not a machine, and life is not a production line. What’s wrong with slowing down and truly being present in the moment?

Even though we race against the clock, we often squander precious minutes on boredom and entertainment, and miss out on what truly matters. And that is the real issue. Before using our time wisely, we must first identify our priorities. What and who is most important to us? Answering this question honestly can help us make more deliberate and better choices.

Even after working too much, wasting time on distractions like social media and mindless amusement robs us of opportunities to pursue our passions, nurture relationships, help others and invest in personal growth. By prioritizing what matters most, we appreciate the true worth of a single minute – a building block of a life rich in meaning and fulfillment.

Stop Flying

Due to work, I often travel back to the area where I used to live. It still feels like home. Every step, smell, sight and sound is bittersweet. Instantly all the memories of why my family and I loved living there come sweeping in.

“No time to live in the past. Gotta keep moving forward,” I tend to think.

But recently, while up there sitting outside eating lunch, I realized these memories don’t have to be bittersweet. Instead, I could be grateful for those times. Full stop. Enjoy the pleasure of remembering those good times. They were good. Thank God they were good. They weren’t good so I could toss them in the waste bin of the past and forget them. They were more than steppingstones. They were, and continue to be, gifts.

Oh, the blessing of good memories! Instead of reliving bad memories (or trying hard so avoid them), one of the most significant advantages of slowing down is the time it affords you to enjoy the present moment. This in turn allows you to recall and cherish the good moments of the past.

When we lead hurried lives, constantly rushing from one task to another, we tend to let the beautiful moments slip by without fully experiencing them. These moments often become hazy memories, buried beneath the weight of our busy schedules. However, when we slow down and are fully present in the here and now, we create space to savor life's most valuable moments that give us meaning and joy.

Recalling the good moments of the past becomes a source of joy rather than nostalgia tinged with sadness. Instead of longing for "the good old days," we find ourselves grateful for the memories we created. These memories become a treasure trove of joy, private and shared. They remind us of the beauty, love, and laughter that have enriched our lives.

Being present also allows us to cultivate stronger connections with the people around us. When we engage fully in conversations and interactions, we forge deeper bonds, creating lasting memories that we can look back on with fondness.

The benefits of slowing down and embracing the present moment are profound. It enables us to recall and cherish the good moments of the past, turning them into a source of gratitude and joy rather than wistful nostalgia.

Do you have time or does time have you?