PASSING OF TIME
I had a discussion the other day with my mom. She asked if I noticed how time appears to go faster the older you get. I replied in the affirmative. Indeed, we all notice this, but why? I’ve heard a few reasons why time appears to go by faster the older we get. One explanation was that as the universe continues to expand time is affected and as the universe expands, time speeds up. I’m not a physicist, but this explanation doesn’t resonate as true to me. However, one explanation has to do with experiences and this one makes the most sense.
So, how do experiences affect our sense of the passing of time? From birth through adolescence and into our young adult lives each experience is new and exciting. We experience many firsts. With first experiences our brain has nothing to compare it to and so it has to create a new memory and new pathways. Without a previous experience that our mind can compare it to, time seems to slow down or, at least, not slip by as fast. This is why the days of our youth felt like they lasted forever and why summer seemed so long when we were in kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade. However, as we have more and more similar experiences our brains have something that it can compare similar experiences to and now time goes by faster and faster. By the time we reached Junior High and High School, summers began to be over when they had just begun. The same is true for all of life’s experiences. The more similar experiences we have the faster time slips by. With this knowledge we have a path to slow down time.
The best tool we have to slow down time is finding ways to have new experiences. As discussed in the previous paragraph, our mind will interpret time differently when our brain doesn’t have a similar experience to compare what we are currently engaged in to. In order to fight time, we have to engage in activities that are new and exciting. Find new experiences we can create new memories with. Cultivate an explorative persona which desires to find new and exciting adventures. We have to get out of the ruts of our lives which has us doing the same things day in and day out. That is how we take control of time.
Seneca The Younger, a stoic philosopher, said, “begin at once to live, and count each separate day as a separate life.” Combine this with what Marcus Aurelias said about waking up each day, “when you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive - to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.” These two philosophical quotes will give us what we need to take control of time and to find new exciting experiences. No matter what happened during the previous day, when you arise the next day, be excited for this day. Treat it as a new life to live that will be full of new experiences and new possibilities. Decide what you would do, who you would be, and take action. Be passionate, love more, and be adventurous each day as you live each day as a new beginning.
What we have explored is powerful and can help us take back control of time. Take a moment to meditate on what we have learned about waking in the morning and living each day. Personally, I have found the practice to be empowering and a breath of new life. It can be a struggle, but no matter how I feel when I wake up in the morning, I think to myself, be excited for today because it is new, full of adventures and possibilities.
