How do we relate to time? Time is one of these topics that concerns everything we do, yet it is so subjective and complex that there is no right or wrong way, just different ways of viewing the subject. I notice how, depending on culture, we can approach time differently. Besides the cultural differences, I also notice that in meetings something more happens to people regarding time.
Why is it that with some people we feel time stretches and we accomplish a lot, while with others we feel tense and everything is rushed?
If we are always feeling rushed and with not enough time, most likely we will carry this feeling to whatever we do, being in a meeting or even in a friendship dinner. If in our mind there is no time for quiet and relaxation, then we will feel that in our activities there is not enough time to do and be.
On the other hand, if we feel in general that life provides time, and we are relaxed, then there is time and space in our mind for quiet. There is time for exploration, time is not constricted and limited, and we carry this expansion into our work and lives.
What makes this difference in our approach of time has to do with an internal sense of how we feel about ourselves. If we struggle with insecurities, anxieties, relationships, money… time would be perceived as pressing. We don’t even realize that this perception interferes with our ability to be present and enjoy whatever and whomever we are with. If we are more certain and things are working for us, then we perceive time with more spaciousness, more presence, and expansion is available to us. Somehow our sense of time has a connection with our sense of inner well-being. How that is possible is puzzling, isn’t it?