Taking Time and Not to Be Taken by It

Our world and lives are full of living poetry, though we seldom seek it out or stop to enjoy it when we are in its midst. So often, we plan our lives based on by measuring from special event to special event – vacations, days off, gatherings, festivals, etc. – and we neglect all those moments in between; wishing our lives away. I am definitely guilty of this. I reminisce about past moments and look toward the next “big thing” I have planned, neutering the present moment from producing joy and happiness. Like anything else, awareness of this fact is never enough. We need to practise and re-shape the way that we carry on from day to day. Maintaining a daily gratitude journal is one way to mine out the good stuff on even the worst of days. We also need to make a conscious decision to all our present day 24/7 culture of apathy and convenience not to consume us. There’s nothing wrong with mindless stuff – it’s necessary to relaxation and relieving stress. We do, however, have to ensure that our lives are flavoured with meaningful things. Consumerism does nothing for us, other than consuming ourselves and causing stress. Life is simple, but made complex by our unrealistic expectations. Taking time to observe our world and nurture relationships is essential. Like Confucius said “Everything has its beauty, but not everybody sees it”. We need to take the time to take things in. To be still. To simply be. To take time, as opposed to allowing time to take us.