Reduce The Pressures of Time

You can become a master of timing but never of time. Consider these situations:

A master of Aikido who is confronted by five younger and stronger attackers. He seemingly ignores their taunting, feints and stalks. Does nothing. Nothing. And then in a moment of time he throws them all this way and that. On the other hand, a frantic street fighter reacts immediately to the threat and throws punches that fall uselessly and, in the end, is overwhelmed. Surely it is the Aikido master who has a better mastery of timing.

The boss who always can find a few minutes to see you even though her schedule is full and who sits attentively listening to you without tension. Or the boss who refuses to see an employee unless a meeting is scheduled and then is interrupted by phone calls during your allotted fifteen minutes, and who constantly looks at her watch and interrupts you in mid-sentence to escort you from her office. The latter person is the slave and not the master of timing. The reality is both bosses spent the same fifteen minutes with you but the time spent was useful for both of you only in the first situation.

The mother who works outside the home, is always available to her children, who can prepare wonderful meals, help with school assignments and events, does aerobics to stay fit and keeps her sense of humor. Or, the “supermom” who gives attention to her children at scheduled “quality times” and then runs them to bed, is late for meetings and is always on the go.

Mastery of timing is determined by the way in which we manage ourselves in relation to time. Masters of time are masters of themselves.