Dealing With Time

Time. It's our most valuable commodity and yet its often the thing we waste the most. Jack Kornfield said, "The trouble is, you think you have time." We can all learn to live our lives more fully and more completely if we alter how we look at time. Join me for this meditation.

Music by Chris Collins. #44

Transcript

Welcome,

And I hope that each one of you will come to find peace within yourself.

Today I'd like to talk a little bit about dealing with time,

With living our lives in the present moment,

With coming to terms with our own mortality,

And how that relates to our perception of time.

Because as we get older,

Our perception of time changes.

When we're young,

Days seem to last forever.

Time seems to stream out ahead of us,

And everything takes so long.

I remember being a child and summer vacation was an eternity.

Even a weekend was just a great length of time.

But then,

As we get older,

Time seems to speed up.

Days go by more quickly,

And years go by faster and faster each year.

That's okay.

We always have plenty of time,

Right?

There's a well-known quote from Jack Kornfield that says,

The trouble is,

You think you have time.

What does that really mean?

Well,

It means that most people go through life thinking that they have nothing but time,

And yet you don't.

Time is your most valuable commodity,

And yet most people don't manage it properly.

The time we think we have is an illusion.

We waste time.

We squander it,

And always acting like we have an infinite supply.

And we don't.

Now,

Just for a moment,

Try to imagine that you've been told that you only have a month to live.

Just 30 days,

And then it's going to be lights out.

Suddenly,

You would be forced to be more efficient with your use of time.

You would plan things.

You would do things that you normally wouldn't do.

You would see everyone in your life with new eyes and with new appreciation.

And a perfect example of what I'm talking about is in the song by Tim McGraw that's titled Live Like You Were Dying.

And the premise of the song is just what I'm talking about.

It's about a man who's been told he's dying.

And one verse says,

I went skydiving,

I went Rocky Mountain climbing,

I went 2.

7 seconds on a bull named Fu Manchu,

And I loved deeper,

And I spoke sweeter,

And I gave forgiveness I'd been denying.

And he said,

Someday,

I hope you get the chance to live like you were dying.

The trouble is,

You think you have time.

And when you finally realize you don't,

You treat time differently.

Normally,

We put off important things,

Assuming that we can do them later.

But there may not be any later.

Life is short.

And so is time.

And so we have to make good use of it.

Now,

Not later.

It's a fallacy to go through life thinking that your life is going to last forever,

Because it won't.

And it won't necessarily end when you're 90 years old.

It could end tomorrow,

Or next month,

Or 30 minutes from now.

For myself,

I've always believed that was one of the benefits that I got from a team of doctors telling me I was only going to live five years when I was 30 years old.

I feel I've lived my life differently.

I took time for things.

I played with my daughters in the fall leaves and in the winter snow.

I stopped to smell the flowers and admire the birds and so much more.

And I came to realize that forever is now.

And the sooner you come to fully understand that,

The more fully you can live your life.

Time is valuable,

And once you spend it,

It's gone.

We are all mortal,

And death is a certainty for all of us.

No one escapes.

And perhaps more importantly is,

We have no idea when it will happen.

And that's all the more reason to live more in the present moment,

To cherish all the moments we have,

To cherish all the people and creatures and all living things,

And to look at all the beauty that's around us.

If you stop and think about what you would do differently,

If you were told you had a month to live,

You'll get a feel for what I'm talking about.

You would prioritize time with your loved ones.

You would appreciate the beauty all around you more than ever before.

You would listen to the sounds in new ways,

The laughter of children,

The music in a gentle rain,

The whisper of the wind in the trees.

You would endeavor to get important things done and ignore all the stuff that's really unimportant.

You would worry less about things from the past and be less anxious about the future because suddenly every moment would have new importance.

Think about that.

Close your eyes now and let's get in touch with our breath.

It doesn't matter if you're sitting,

Standing,

Or lying down.

The only thing that matters is that you're comfortable and alert in this moment.

We have nowhere to be and nothing to do.

This moment is for you.

This,

Here,

Now,

This moment is all there is.

Let's scan our body as we begin to relax.

Relax your neck and your shoulders.

Unfurl your brow.

Unclench your jaw.

Relax your hands.

Relax any tension in your chest or belly and feel yourself getting heavier with each breath.

Relax your legs and your feet and as you begin to relax,

Let's focus more on our breath.

Inhale slowly and then gently exhale.

Notice your breath as it flows in.

Notice where you feel it in your body,

A cool sensation in your nose,

The movement of your chest or belly as the breath flows in and flows out.

Listen to the world around you as you settle in.

Hear the sound of your breathing,

The call of the birds,

The bark of the dog,

The laughter of children as you relax and get in touch with your breath.

Just bask in your surroundings.

Continue to breathe at your normal pace and don't force anything.

Just let your breath move in and out.

Let your breath flow like a river,

Sure and tranquil and calm.

Surrender to the world around you and know that this moment is precious and unique.

The past is gone and unchangeable and the future is just a construct of your mind.

It doesn't exist.

Now is all that matters.

You and your breath with the world all around you.

If you have thoughts,

Just let them go like clouds passing by in the sky.

Just keep focused on your breath and let thoughts pass across your mind.

We are only concerned with our breath as it flows in and it flows out.

If you hear sounds in the room,

Let them go as well.

There's no judgment in this moment.

Your breath moving slowly in and slowly out is all there is.

Being able to get in touch with this current of your breath can transform your life.

It can help you to deal with tension and insecurities.

It can help you to stay more in the present moment.

Understanding the flow of your breath can help you to deal better with the problems in your day,

Breathing in and breathing out one breath at a time.

When we accept the fact that we have limited time and have to be more in the present moment,

We can live our lives more fully.

We can truly live and enjoy everything around us more.

We can focus on all the things we may be missing now.

Each one of us should try to live our lives as if we only had a short time left.

This way we can come to really cherish and appreciate all the aspects of our lives following our breath,

One breath at a time.

I came to terms with my own mortality when I was 30 years old.

It's simply a matter of being more realistic.

And as people who practice meditation and mindfulness,

You are in the best position to be more in the present moment.

You make the most of every day.

Take the time to see the beauty all around you,

To be thankful for each day that you are here,

To experience all that life can offer,

The good,

The bad,

And without judgment.

Breathing in,

Breathing out,

Just one breath at a time.

Follow your breath knowing that forever is now,

That the only moment you can be sure of is this one,

Where you truly acknowledge the fact that we all have a limited time.

You can begin to live your life more fully.

You can slow down and begin to appreciate things that you overlooked before.

You can come to see loved ones and partners and children and even pets in a new way.

When you live like you were dying,

You begin to prioritize and realize what's really important.

Think about that.

Now as we come to a close,

Open your eyes and come back into the room,

Aware of each breath,

Being aware of the birds in the trees,

Aware of the flowers in the garden,

Being aware of the needs of those around us.

And by doing this,

As best we can,

Even a short life can be full.

Wiggle your fingers and toes and stretch and notice how relaxed you feel,

How good it feels to be alive and in this moment.

And this moment is the only moment you can be sure of.

It's the only moment that matters,

Remembering that forever is now.

The past is unchangeable and the future doesn't exist except in your mind.

This,

Here,

Now,

This is all you can be sure of,

Breathing in and breathing out,

One breath at a time.

Now I want to leave you with the words of a poem called Each Moment is Precious by Patricia Fleming.

And it goes like this,

Live in the moment,

Just take it all in.

Pay attention to everything,

Right there,

Right then.

Don't let your mind wander to what's coming next.

Cherish this moment and give it your best.

Don't let tomorrow make you wish through today or too many great moments will just go to waste.

And the person you're with in that moment you share,

Give them all of your focus.

Be totally there.

Laugh till it hurts,

Let the tears drop.

Fill up each moment with all that you've got.

Don't miss the details,

The lesson is there.

Don't get complacent,

Stay sharp and aware.

It can take but a moment to change your life's path.

And once it kicks by,

There's no going back.

In just 60 seconds,

You may make a new friend,

Find your true love,

Or see a life start or end.

You become who you are in this moment you live.

In the growth,

Not in taking,

But in how much you give.

Life is just moments,

So precious and few.

Whether valued or squandered,

It's all up to you.

I hope this has been a beneficial and calming session.

And I hope that each one of you will come to find peace within yourself and live your lives right here,

Right now.

Till next time.

Reviews

Grabbed me by the throat and slapped me in the face. Take it out of neutral and put it in gear.

Thank you Michael , this is profound. One breath at a time truly live ! 🙏

I cannot thank you enough for sharing this beautiful mediation.. it has left me feeling very grateful for the moment in which I am in.
We are all so blessed to experience our time in this world and i thank you dearly for the time you shared with us..🙏🙏🙏

Love your voice, the pace, your energy-so uplifting. Love the message. Thank you !

Dear Michael, thank you for this powerful session on importance of mindfulness in every moment of our lives, and living fully. The poem is very poignant, too🙏🏽💚🫶🏽💕

Wow. This was really wise and amazing to me. There was so much to learn and absorb. Thank you so much dear teacher

More lovely moments and embracing all that life has to offer. So beautiful and peaceful. Thank you once again

A pleasant and convincing plea for living our lives in the present moment. Forever is now indeed. Namaste 🤓🙏🏻

A perfect reminder! And I love the way you ended with a beautiful and mindful poem!
Thank you so much for the inspiring words and message.