Magical Pockets of Time

“Time can do all sorts of things. It’s almost like a magician. It can turn autumn into spring and babies into children, seeds into flowers and tadpoles into frogs, caterpillars into cocoons, and cocoons into butterflies. And life into death. There’s nothing that time can’t do. Except run backwards. That’s its trouble really, it can only go one way.”

Alex Shearer
THE STOLEN


Our lives begin with passed down lullabies with verses of old.   In the lap of an elder we hear ancient stories beginning with "Once Upon A Time...".   The years follow with "Time to get up sleepyhead," or "Come on now, time for bed!" The days of regulation stream far ahead. 

We observe children playing alone outdoors with great animation caught in some magical illusion ignoring all time and space.  We hear others reporting, "Time just stood still."   In crisis we hear people say, "I just need a minute," knowing full well our  lives will never regain original cadence.

There are pockets in time waiting for us, if we would just be willing to duck out of our restraints.  These pockets are deep and comfortable and need to be visited often.  Children know of the magic held within the pockets of time.   They savor each and every moment, reluctantly returning to the regime of time upon hearing their mother's voice calling, "Come home!"

The expansion and contraction of time is amazing.  When we are engaged in a task we dislike, we seem to be trapped forever; whereas, when we are engaged in something pleasing, the time can pass far too quickly.  When we are mesmerized by the aspects of a new creative adventure, we can forget about time all together, exclaiming, "Where did the time go?"  Passing of Time, In Time, At the End of Time, Another Time, There is No Time, and Being Lost in Time, as you see the phrases are endless.

There are individuals who have a favorite time of day.  For some it is the first breath of the day communing with the Divine while others choose the sun setting, feeling the presence of Allah.  Still others find peace and calm watching the moon gently pass across the sky.  And then there are those who can relax only upon connecting with the mattress of their bed at day's end.   All of these passings can be magical pockets of time.

Although I can be an highly organized individual, I much prefer to be a procrastinator with time.  I enjoy the sense of being boundless by just experiencing the moment.  I resent others who try to dictate my time.  I do my best to carry all of the elements of time within my elaborate pocket.  I want to sprinkle my minutes as I see fit, and savor the ones still lingering in the creases of the fabric lining my pocket.  I will not squander even one wink of time unless I get caught in the twinkling of the Divine.

Which Side Are We On

“There was a wall. It did not look important. It was built of uncut rocks roughly mortared. An adult could look right over it, and even a child could climb it. Where it crossed the roadway, instead of having a gate it degenerated into mere geometry, a line, an idea of boundary. But the idea was real. It was important. For seven generations there had been nothing in the world more important than that wall.  Like all walls it was ambiguous, two-faced. What was inside it and what was outside it depended upon which side of it you were on.”

Ursula K. Le Guin

Limits are good for us when we refer to any possible addictive behaviors like spending, drinking, eating, gambling or sex.  Things can be good for us until we ignore the limitations we established for our selves.  This is also true with boundaries.  Creating boundaries are vitally important to our physical and mental health.  When we do not respect our boundaries we allow others to take advantage of us.

 

There is another side to limitations and boundaries which we can explore.  If we allow our selves to stand outside of limitations and boundaries looking back in, we can discover areas where we can change and grow.  Our limitations may be self-imposed or  too restrictive.  We may not be allowing enough time for an outing with a friend or recognition for a job well done.    Our boundaries may need to be expanded to run the risk of a career change or a new relationship. 

 

There are so many ways to adjust our lives for the better when we remain conscious about our own behaviors.  With an open mind we can look at a healthier balance between light and dark;  inside and outside; work and play; body, mind, and spirit; exercise and sleep; and private and social time.  Any extreme either too much or too little can be well intended, but harmful.  An accurate assessment is dependent upon which side we are standing on.  We must look one way, and then from an other to create a well rounded conclusion.

Color Your Day

Forget the past

It’s just a dream you keep alive by dreaming
A bubble that wants to hit the ground and burst
But which you keep afloat by thinking.

The past is only a tail
You keep dragging behind you
Collecting dust and dirt
Until it’s so heavy with bitterness and regret
It stops you moving forward.

You don’t have to sit there and watch
While the scenes of your past play back
The tragic-comedy of your life
Simmering with hurt and envy
Shuddering with embarrassment
Stabbing yourself with pangs of regret.

There is no past
There are only memories of events
And every memory is refracted through
A hall of mental mirrors
Until whatever once was true
Dissipates and disappears
Like vapour trails fading in the sky.

So cut the tail, and cut the tale
Turn the mental projector off
Don’t strain your eyes trying to see through the fog
When the panorama of the present stretches
Clear and bright around you.

by Steve Taylor



Every day is a new day or a new opportunity to begin again.  As we shower of a morn, we can visualize washing off all negativity, all heaviness from the past.  We can change our morning routine or navigate a different way to work.  We can create a new communication with those who surround us by setting our attitude and tone to a higher level of interest. 

At lunch we can view our surroundings as though we had new glasses to look through.  Keep looking until we find something we have never noticed before whether it is minimal or magnificent.  Begin the afternoon with a new sense of energy and an eagerness to do your best.

On your way home, recall only the good aspects of the day.  Find a different route home and notice as though it were the first time to view the neighborhood.  Upon arrival home, mix it up.  Maybe turn on some music before we begin our evening habits.  If we are alone, maybe take an early soak in the tub with a nice cup of hot tea or a very red Chablis.  If we have family surrounding us, invite them to assist in dinner preparation and encourage conversation about their day.  Let our thoughts wander through their day and really listen without trying to solve problems.

As we retire into our bed for a long night of sleep, journal or read a favorite poem or do yoga's lazy child's pose to stretch your back and deepen our breath.  While waiting for sleep, think in colors and fantasize what wonderful really looks like.

In the morning, begin again.  Get into the spirit of things and get really creative with changes for another new day.  How many tiny changes can we make each day before we realize we color our day either by dark thoughts from the past or vibrant colors of no limitations!

New Found Joy

When the stories of our life no longer bind us, we discover within them something greater.  We discover that within the very limitations of form, of our maleness and femaleness, of our parenthood and our childhood, of gravity on the earth and the changing of the seasons, is the freedom and harmony we have sought for so long.  Our individual life is an expression of the whole mystery, and in it we can resat in the center of the movement, the center of all worlds.

~Jack Kornfield
A Path with Heart:  A Guide Through the Perils and Promises of Spiritual Life



 As children, we keep things pretty simple.  Somewhere along the line we learn to complicate life with drama, addiction, and disillusion.  This may sound sinister, but these very elements are catalysts to assist in the discovery of personal meaning in life. 

Life presents a challenge and we as humans have a variety of reactions:  avoidance, denial, and other levels of complications.
If we would face lessons head on (after careful consideration) they would not necessarily grow as the old proverb indicates, 'making mountains out of mole holes." 

It is wise to do research, but often times we are simply seeking opinions of those who know less than we do.  We also ask  for input from certain people we already know will simply parrot back to us what we want to hear.  For whatever reason, we do not trust the knowledge we have within.

"To thine own self be true," is wonderful advice.  The better we know our selves, the more we trust our inner knowings, the less complicated situations will be.   We can cast off what no longer serves us and embrace the freedom of original thought. Old thoughts, past limitations, and mistakes we have made along the way are only barriers when we preserve them.  Once removed, these old restrictions no longer bind us, and in our new found joy, we can discover a more intimate connection with life and the Divine.

Finding the harmony we have sought for so long, enhances our lives and encourages us to maintain balance.  We create a stronger connection with nature or the arts enjoying the beauty of our world and the mystery of the spiritual world.  We can allow our selves to be free.