“The clock is ticking.” How many times have we used or heard that expression? Our daily activities replete with projects, activities or mundane pastimes whether uplifting or uninspiring, are measured by how much time we are able to dedicate to each one of them.
And on occasions we are also reminded of our individual time as breathing human beings. Once we die, some will say, “his time was up!” And yet, time just keeps rolling along, with or without us.
Age, catastrophic occurrences, illness, or celebratory events heighten our awareness of how we choose to spend our time. It also helps us reevaluate our daily life patterns based on the minutes in the day.
Lately, two of our children have inquired about our physical mobility and capacity to avoid deadly falls or injuries. They want to know if we are setting aside time for physical core training to help us combat physical disabilities. It does inspire us to relook at how our day is spent and if it includes daily exercise.
I love the expression, “I lost track of time.” Yes, we can track how we spend our time but we cannot stop the forward motion of time. Time will continue to unfold regardless of which life activities we undertake or choose to ignore.
So it seems that the issue is not so much that time is an elusive element that doesn’t wait for us, rather the majestic piece is that we have an opportunity to fill the allotted, ongoing timespan with whatever activity we feel is of interest and importance to us.
We can choose to spend time alone, simply relaxing or use that time to travel, read, write, explore new dimensions, visit friends and family or learning a new skill, among many other choices.
While we are still alive, we are blessed with the same number of seconds, minutes, hours and days. From a chronological point of view, time does not discriminate nor favor one set of events over another. The excuse of “if I only had more time,” is not a valid one for the time frame is always the same. The manner in which we fill the time we have is what allows us to complete our activities.
We know of many individuals who refuse to take time to travel or to change their lifestyle or work hours. They perceive time as an opportunity to fortify their wealth and to continue to be personally productive. Their perception of time is one of laboring and working to get ahead in life. To use their time for frivolous activities is interpreted as taking time away from completing their dedicated tasks.
There is merit in using time productively and gaining a firm foothold on our career and personal growth. The question is “to what end?” I have a neighbor who works 3 jobs in addition to body building. He sleeps insufficient hours and is seldom physically around his family. He is fulfilling his obligation to provide a house, food, and other needs but his presence is missing.
The dilemma is making decisions on how one’s personal time is spent.
Do we control how our allocated time is spent or do we simply let time unfold minute by minute while we just hang out during that interim. “Only time will tell!”
Frank S Davila, PhD
March 2024