Taking time for granted

Time is something that we all wish we had more of. We complain that we don’t have enough time to do things or we feel like time is moving too quickly. There are so many sayings that we use that refer to time. Time is of the essence. Time flies when you’re having fun. I don’t have enough time is definitely the saying that resonates most with me.

I came across a quote by William Shakespeare, I don’t know where it’s from but it is very profound as most of his writings are. He says, “Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow, creeps in this petty pace from day to day.” This is seems very obvious when you first think about it. Obviously time doesn’t actually move at different speeds, but still we feel like everything is moving faster than it should be. Clearly this is just our perception of time, but why do we perceive it this way?

From what I’ve noticed in myself and in others, our culture is accustomed to rushing things. We don’t slow down to appreciate things like we should. In our minds things should get done fast so we rush and make them harder for ourselves. By rushing it ends up taking longer because we aren’t worried as much about the quality of what we’re doing. When we rush to finish homework we risk doing it wrong it having to do it all over again. In reality, it would be smart to slow down and pay attention more to detail.

There are so many things we miss when we just rush and don’t pay attention to our surroundings. We rush when we’re driving and we don’t enjoy the things around us. When you’re stuck in traffic you should be able to throw some good music on and just relax because there’s really nothing you can do if you’re stuck in traffic. You just have to wait. It’s not that time is moving faster, we are just perceiving time it different ways in different situations.

If you look at time the same way in every situation then more power to you, but I have yet to witness that. It’s our perception of time that leads to stress. If we would just relax and use our time wisely or plan out the day so that you have a time set do to all of the things you need to, our stress levels would be very low.

It doesn’t matter what you’re doing; if you’re stressed I urge you to take a breath and relax. You have plenty of time to do the things that you need to, you just need to put in the right amount of effort and use the time you have wisely. You should be able to enjoy every second of every day in one way or another. Now that doesn’t mean that you need to like doing the things that you are doing all the time, but you should feel blessed with the time that you have.

We really do take time for granted. Think of those people who are sick and are told they only have 6 months to live. All that those people want is time, and we’re throwing it away like it’s nothing. A greater appreciation of time would lead to a greater appreciation of life itself. Enjoy the time you are given, because we don’t live forever. Use your time wisely and make it count. And always remember that it isn’t the amount of time that matters, it’s how you use that time.

-Eric Proulx