Are You Always in a HURRY? This View of Time Helped "Type A" Me...Jan 11 '09 (Updated Jan 12 '09) Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line This treatise on "time" may help you to better manage it--especially if you're "Type A."
Disclaimer: no part of this essay is meant to be used as a program of any form, type, or shape. These are my thoughts on the subject, and are not necessarily supported, in whole, by research--they are loosely theoretical, and I am not an expert on this subject. For all I know, it could be totally baseless. Background For as long as I can remember, I've always been in a hurry. Scatterbrained. I've forever been trying to do several things simultaneously--at least 2 of which directly interfere (and eventually result in forgetting something) with many of the others. And no matter how early I leave to drive somewhere, I usually drive pretty fast, and do not suffer stragglers on the highway. I guess a recent incident that almost resulted in road rage (at least in the other guy's mind--I'm pretty calm), brought me some pause. "I've got to relax!" I thought. Here is the result of that. Gist In Tom Muzila's new book, Mental Karate, he asserts that the subconscious mind doesn't know the difference between a penny and a million dollars--to your subconscious mind, it's "just money." Similarly, it can't distinguish between a strong and weak opponent. Tapping into that, we can face all opponents optimally. So what about time? I'm proferring the idea that-to the subconscious mind (that part that is thinking about things that we are not aware of, that we get "snippets" of when we remember our dreams)-there is no qualitative aspect of time; there is no "good," "bad," "right," or "wrong" time, but only time. When one considers time as such, it logically follows that-all else being equal (health, including proper rest and nutrition, and a few other things), two people working from 10 to 11 o' clock in the morning should have identical productivity, as a percentage of their total potential. Also, it shouldn't matter if it is morning, night, winter, autumn, or spring--when one considers that it is just a "stretch" of time, it is solely that, when removed from the context of the Earth's position relative to the Sun. The only thing that should matter is when you decide to work. An important thing to note is that one has to begin to relate (and draw power from) one's subconscious mind, and thus access the great mental strength that is there--that is something I won't get into here, but highly recommend Mental Karate for; it is mostly not about martial arts, but is very useful for anyone seeking a greater understanding of gaining greater mental strength, through this avenue (and a very easy read). Everyone experiences time differently. The perception of elapsing time speeds up as one gets older. I remember being 5 years old--it seemed like I was 5 years old forever. I got tired of people asking me how old I was--"I'm still five." These days, however, Christmas just passed, it's barely January, we're having record cold, and it seems like Summer (and then, the next Black Friday), is right around the corner). Time flies when you're having fun. There never seems to be enough of it. And there are times that you never want to end, so you enrich and add value to it by doing more things that are meaningful. If you're dreading what you're doing, time crawls by. At other times, it seems to "stand still." Don't we have some control over this 4th dimension? I continued to think of time as uniformly elapsing--at a constant rate (when I wanted to). I began to think more of time, taken out of the context of "all other times," yet being identical to the same stretch of time, at another point in time. It (time) no longer mattered. I seemed to relax more, and not feel anxious or concerned about how much time was left until a break at work, for example, and was able to focus more of my energies on what I was doing, and enjoy the moment. I became less stressed. Let's Get a Little "Loopy" With It... Consider this. What does time feel like? Taste like? Sound like? Do you get a "hangover" from time? At this point, it actually feels "odd" that you can "sell time" and that-yep-it's even "money." And if time is "money," and money is the "root" of all evil, then is time the root of all evil (of course, it is the "want" of it, not the money itself, as the saying goes)? It is safe to say that time is the "root" of everything, being the context in which everything occurs, the "system" in which reactants mix, and the "stage" upon which all of Will's people "play." Getting Back on Track... My main point is that one can be maximally efficient, in the performance of a chosen task, regardless of the time (in any sense), but there are some factors which one has to control. The "all other things being equal" would have to include emotional state--one has to be in control of their emotions, and not overly depressed, ecstatic, or otherwise distracted. Motivation for the chosen task would also play a role. There are likely other things, but they are less important. If a normally largely impatient, "type A" person would meditate on the constant, unchanging aspect of time, it may help to normalize and flatten-out his or her experience of it, and contribute to reducing performance (and other) anxieties. What Else? It is said that "when the body moves quickly, the mind moves slowly; but when the body moves slowly, the mind moves quickly (this was said in karate practice, and I'm fairly certain I've stated that correctly). Wave a hand side-to-side in front of your face (breathing slowly), in very slow motion--how does it feel? Now do it quickly--feel any different? Which is easier to focus (concentrate) on, and during? Quick and slow are relative, and occur in the context of time. The mind (your mind) controls your time--YOU. Want time to move quickly? Start doing something fun. Want time to crawl? Do something really, really boring. Want to "waste" time? Set your clock back 20 minutes. Want to get out the door earlier? Set it 20 minutes fast (just don't "fool yourself" into thinking you actually are 20 minutes "late"). You can "stop someone in their tracks" with a look--to them, they are "frozen" in time (I offer that you have "slowed" their brain, because you have limited their ability, period, and their "time" has been compromised). Dancing with an alluring partner may "mesmerize" you to the point where you feel you are no longer experiencing time, and you are in a different "place"--this partner has "changed" your time. Similarly, someone fighting can "alter" time for his or her opponent, and thus control their opponent's position, as well ("The next thing I knew, I was staring at the ceiling, and the side of my head was burning"). Also, you could attack your opponent, and-inexplicably-they end up behind you (or much further away, or closer, than you expected); they could also cause you to lose track of time, further off-setting you. I think much of that has to do with both, distracting, and taking advantage of an opponent's distractability/lack of (enough) attention and mental focus. Lastly, since the Earth is moving about 180,000 MPH around the Sun, a different time IS a different place, in the much wider sense (that's 50 miles every second, for the record); and that's not even accounting for the Earth's spin. I have been to physical classes (karate) wherein certain instructors make 90 minutes seem like 2-3 hours, when still others would result in it feeling like the actual time. It could be partly due to the novelty of the "special" instructor, but I think it has something to do with their experience, preparation, their teaching style, charisma, our expectation (positive/negative), and what they have us do. I'm sure you've had teachers like these. When you stop looking at the clock, time matters less. That's why certain karate classes I've attended have had the clocks covered up. In this specific and very important practice (which lasts 90 minutes), I used to "pace" myself, and actually count out all 5,400 seconds. When I first tried it without counting, I thought I was going to "lose my mind," almost, so I estimated the elapsed time, and resumed counting. When I finally went through the entire practice without counting, I suffered less, and experienced more growth. I also was so much less anxious, and proved to myself that I could have this attitude towards time. Conclusion You don't have to always feel in a "hurry" or impatient. If you imagine time as a constant, never-changing medium, it does not take on a positive or negative aspect, and you can focus more on what you are doing. This could lead to greater efficiency, more stamina, and a better work ethic, as well as less stress and more relaxation. Live in the "moment," but make sure that the moment isn't abbreviated or prolonged. That way, they will more reliably "add up" to a smoother existence. Good luck! I often think About this "Time" and Place. You Might Also Enjoy These Essays... How to Whittle Down Your Monthly Bills and BUY Yourself Some TIME! 3 Simple Self-Defense Moves EVERY Woman Should Know! How to Find Computer & Electronics Deals How Do You Know You're In Love? Social Commentary on Obama's Historic Win The Credit Crunch You WON'T Be Expecting! 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