One of my favorite alternative clocks is something we all have access to: the simple beating of our own heart. I find that when I’m rushing around and can feel myself in a busy fit, sometimes I just stop, put my hand on my heart, let it beat inside my chest, truly feel it, and remind myself of the ways that our hearts are connected.
This quick and simple technique gets me geared back into the present, especially when I’m worried, really busy, or feeling like I’m rushing around.
Problems with Prioritizing
So often we feel that time is controlling us, and we forget that we can control time. Even if we don’t always have control over the things we do, we have control over how we do them. For example, you may not have a choice right now about having to drive a long commute to work each day. However, you do have choices about how you use that time and, specifically, what you are thinking about and reflecting on during that time. It is through these choices that you can make that time your own.
Many time management books suggest that we get very clear about our priorities and values and then consistently make choices about our time that are in line with those priorities. This is, indeed, a great start. We start saying no to things that are not in line with our most important priorities and start saying yes to the things that are. More often than not, the very act of evaluating “what is most important” can just lead to more overwhelm, as we get swallowed up in a dark, urgent, pressure-filled energy that makes us feel incapable and unconfident. This is why so many people get stuck when prioritizing, myself included.
When I am in a state of overwhelm, I finally can get things done when I focus not on “what’s most important” but instead on “what is really most important...to me.” Momentum and motivation are the two crucial keys to getting things done, and both of them are fueled solely by What We Truly Love.
Existing in Two Times at Once
Of course, we all have things we need to do with our time, even though they aren’t in line with our top priorities. Back to the commute example: A long commute may not fit in with your top priorities, but it’s something you have to do. Perhaps a long-term goal might be to work toward changing jobs, but in the present moment, the commute does fill your time, even though you don’t like it. When you time-travel at the speed of love, however, you learn how to exist in two times at once.
When you time-travel at the speed of love, your body may be in one time and place, performing the mundane task at hand, but through the focused power of love, your energy and emotions can be held elsewhere. Once again, we can look to science for several metaphorical comparisons, such as the possible existence of parallel universes, as well as theories in quantum mechanics proving that tiny atoms and molecules can effectively, albeit mind-bogglingly, be in two places at the same time.
After all, it may be a while until you get to the point that your schedule is filled only with activities that are aligned with your highest priorities (and let’s face it, that may feel pretty far off from where you are now). Like the quantum molecule, however, you can exist in two places at once; even when you are doing things that aren’t connected to your true loves and passions, you can still be energetically connected to the things that are.
This energetic connection happens when you are stuck in traffic but you are thinking warm, loving thoughts about your family. Or when you’re at the doctor’s office but you are reflecting on your next step in your creative dream. Or when you are washing the dishes but you are breathing deeply to fill your body with oxygen and optimum health. In other words, if you can identify your true loves and passions, not only can you make decisions about your time to reflect those priorities, but also you can make a conscious effort to think about and reflect on those things, no matter where you are or what you are doing, thus engaging in constant alignment with love...all the time!
Reprinted with permission of the publisher,
New World Library. ©2012 by Marney K. Makridakis
www.newworldlibrary.com or 800-972-6657 ext. 52.
Article Source
Creating Time: Using Creativity to Reinvent the Clock and Reclaim Your Life
by Marney K. Makridakis.
Most of us have said, “If only I had more time,” as a way of explaining why we aren’t leading our most fulfilling lives. This book turns the concept of time management upside down by presenting exciting new tools for viewing and experiencing your time. Creating Time combines creativity with science in a gorgeous colorful format that presents a fascinating adventure in which you will imagine, create, and completely reshape the way you experience time.
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About the Author
Marney K. Makridakis is the author of Creating Time. She founded the Artella online community for creators of all kinds and the print magazine Artella. A popular speaker and workshop leader, she created the ARTbundance approach of self-discovery through art. Visit her online at www.artellaland.com.
Watch a video: Marney Makridakis on Creating Time
