Time, an illusion that controls our lives

Time does not exist, only in our minds, it is a construct created to keep our consciousness subordinate, in compliance and always in need to be somewhere else other than ‘here’. Through conditioning our minds have become mostly fixated on future thinking; “I need to go there,” “I want this by this date,” “I need the future to come along so things will change.”

Many of us are addicted to clock watching, a mental activity associated with redirecting our conscious awareness from the immediate circumstances of our lives. Focusing on time takes our full conscious awareness away from the only real ‘time’ of our lives and that is in the present moment, the now. Otherwise referred to as the enlightened stage of consciousness many spiritual teachers have spoken about. When our full attention is not on the present moment, we are literally killing away the life energy of our human existence. Of course, in the modern era it is essential we have some awareness of time otherwise we would be late for our jobs and not turn up at prearranged dates with friends and family. However, once we are ‘there’ like for example arriving at our jobs, it is often the case we are not really ‘there’. At work we may be consumed with thinking about our lunches, what chores need to be done later that day, did I upset my boss the other day. It is like our minds cannot stay focused on the immediate present, our minds are always finding a way to search for distractions from the now. Once aware of this mental activity which you will be now that you have read this far, it is quite easy to reflect on your thoughts when they arise and observe them. Once you become the observer of your thoughts, instead of ‘being the thought’ then you can take direct action and shift your focus. The now will always be with us for the rest of our lives, there is no yesterday or tomorrow in the now, and the now is what your life will always be. So by focusing on the now we can be free of depression (past thinking), anxiety (future thinking) and give anything in front of us our full immediate and infinite awareness. This can be as simple as listening to someone without thinking what you should say next, it can be writing an email with full absorption and it can be eating food with full attention on the taste, texture, smell.

Our lives are but a drop in the ocean with regards to how ‘long’ the universe has existed. Use your ‘time’ wisely and mindfully. Use your time to spread love to others, to heal others, to be happy in the now, to focus on growth and being fully present in thoughts, emotions and behaviours. Our lives are the greatest of all gifts in the universe, to waste our “time” on this planet by being fixated on clock time is the biggest disservice there can be to ourselves and the world.