your greatest asset
What is our greatest asset? The greatest asset with which we cannot control, always want more of, cannot take back, nor speed up, nor slow down, nor stop all together. It is what it is and it moves as it moves. Time. Time is our greatest friend and sometimes our biggest adversary. Our relationships with time differs. How we value it, how we allocate it, who we share it with. There’s no pause button on time. No fast forward. No rewind. There’s also no better indicator as to whether we are present in a moment or not.
For some of us, time must be filled. If we don’t fill the minutes, we feel like we are not living. Or, we are lazy or unproductive. We must continue to fill, fill, fill. For others, time may not be so structured. Some can just move with it, in and out of it. Live in it and let it pass before us, either in slow motion or stillness. There is less urgency. One is neither better than the other, nor right or wrong. It’s all perspective. It’s all about balancing our time. Understanding our relationship with it can begin to shift our priorities and teach us what is truly important. It becomes a practice of time mindfulness. How we navigate the transitions of life and the in-between start to carry more weight as well.
Look at all the memories in your life that you truly remember. Are they all what we would consider, “big moments?” Probably not. For example, you may recall a time you wished you could slow down time with your newborn as you stared at them, or conversely wished you could speed it up when they were crying non-stop in the middle of the night. You may remember every mouthful of something delicious you savored because you took your time to enjoy your meal and also remember the time you ate quickly at the kitchen counter in between conference calls. These are all examples of everyday life and our relationship with time. Maybe you wish you had, had more time with a loved one who was ill. Maybe you wish you had less time with a person who was unkind, bored you to tears or brought you little joy.
The truth is, we can’t control actual time. What we can control is how we allocate it. How we notice it. What we do with it. It’s that idea of linear time when we’re sitting in traffic, racing to get to play dates or work or rushing to check all the things off the to-do list. Is getting all these things done really worth it if you feel depleted at the end of the day? Does it feed your soul? Or, does it stifle your creativity? What’s truly important? What isn’t? What is essential and what isn’t the end of the world if it just simply has to….wait?
What we can begin to do, is not judge the choices we make but simply notice them. Notice how you get up in the morning. What do you do with those very first few minutes you awake? What do you right before bed? How do you start the day? End the day? Journey through the middle of the day? Are you go-go-go? Is there room for a pause? Do you really give your loved one a proper hug and goodbye in the morning? Are you truly present when you tuck your kids in to say goodnight? When you speak to people, are you looking at them in the eye with full attention? When you call to check in on your best friend, are you really listening? How do you decompress when you sit down at the end of the day? Do you carve out time for things that bring you joy? With your partner?
Honoring your relationship with time is individual. But, what we do have in common is that we are only given a certain amount of it. It’s up to you to decide how you will use that time. We all want to use it wisely. We all have unavoidable responsibilities and things we want to accomplish, but also need time for rest and fun. We all want to cherish our greatest asset in the most fulfilling ways possible. While it may feel like we are often always working against the clock, time is very much on your side. It’s just waiting for you to let go and relish the present moment.
much love + light,
jess
xxx