All the time in the world
Published: Fri, 09/23/16
After today there are just 99 days until the end of the calender year, or even 90 days until the Winter Solstice, depending upon how you see the year ending. I guess an astronomical event is more significant than a completely arbitrary date on a calender. Either way it might focus your mind a little bit. I know time is either an illusion or just a man made construct but, illusion or construct, it seems to be a pretty persistent, not to say occasionally useful idea. I remember one occasion of attending a course which ran over three days. The person I went with always seemed to make a point of being hours late for any event she went to. This was no exception and we arrived several hours late for the start of the course. The organiser got quite agitated and hurried us into the session which had just started. The first thing I heard the facilitator say as we entered the room was. ‘Time is just an illusion.’ and I remember thinking.
‘So what was all the fuss about us being late then?’ But of course both organiser and the speaker were right. In the sense of eternity there is only the now so there is no point in regretting the past or being anxious about the future. Neither exists now. On the other hand being a civilised and respectful human being means accepting shared conventions and fulfilling the implied obligations. One of those conventions is an agreed sense of time. In the military the most basic way that a lower rank shows respect for higher ranks is by being in place in time for the arrival of superiors. Conversely, the simplest way of putting two fingers up at convention is by deliberately refusing to keep appointments on time.
So, time is a form of discipline which we can either accept and learn from or reject to show that we won’t be slaves to the clock. Goals, deadlines, delivery dates can serve to force us to make more of an effort and concentrate harder than we would do without a time limit. If there is all the time in the world why bother? On the other hand there is all the time in the world because it is always now. The paradox is that we are actually free to use time to relate to other people while still living in the moment because really the moment is all there is.
So, 99 days until the end of 2016, if there is anything you meant to accomplish but haven’t got around to it yet then you are running out of time. Yes, it applied to me too and I am taking action. If doing some Stav training was on your agenda for 2016 then I have four courses lined up before the end of the year. You can find details here http://www.iceandfire.org/calendar.html
I need to go now, Ivar is arriving in about half an hour for the Stav seminar this weekend and I intend to be on time to pick him up from the station.
regards
Graham