Keeping Time In Focus

Dr. Jon Kabot-Zinn is a stress management expert who provides training for people in Boston who have serious illnesses. He suggests the following ways to free yourself from the tyranny of time:

Remember that time is a product of thought. Albert Einstein pointed out, “If you are sitting on a hot stove, a minute can seem like an hour, but if you are doing something pleasurable, an hour can seem like a minute.”

Remember, yesterday is gone and tomorrow exists only in your imagination. Only the present is real. So don’t waste time reliving the past or waste time in worrying about hypothetical futures. Try to keep your attention focused on what you are doing now. That way you use time well.

Take some of your time each day for solitude and meditation. American Indians used to sit around the fire in the evening and meditate. In areas where climate permitted, people used to sit on the porch and meditate. Learn meditation if you would like. It is not as full of mystery as you might think. For example, if you have ever lost your sense of time staring into a fireplace, or listening to music, you have slipped into meditation. It is no more mysterious than that.

Simplify your life. Find time for the simple pleasures of living. Play with your child and really look at the child’s face while they play. Watch a sunset. Eat your favorite dessert. And when you do, give it all your attention.