 "Man has no control over time; it is a gift to be cherished, not a possession to be kept." ~Unknown This is usually the time of year when I write a blog about how time isn’t real. How our whole concept of time is just a big game of collective make-believe. How it isn’t really New Year’s Day today, it’s just that at some point in history we drew an imaginary point on our eternal loop around the sun and declared that this is where one year ends and the next begins. However, to be honest. I’m not totally convinced that time is an illusion.
Evidence of the reality of time is all around us. For example, if you saw through a log, you find that it’s made up of a series of concentric rings, each ring representing a year of growth for the tree. You can also go to places like the Grand Canyon and really understand how it took over five million years to form. Of course, you only have to look in a mirror to recognize that time is real. If time is just an illusion, then why are you getting older? The Babylonians are credited with inventing modern timekeeping over 2,500 years ago. But that doesn’t mean they invented time. Nobody invented time, it is one of the fundamental components of the universe, along with matter and space. Without time, the world would be static- nothing would be able to grow or change. Time is the element that allows you to create and manifest, to develop mental concepts into physical form. However, while the element of time is real, the experience of time pressure is completely self-created. Time is constantly flowing along because that’s what time does- that’s what reality is. Where we go wrong is thinking that time somehow belongs to us. This belief leads to all kinds of unnecessary stress. Many people can’t stand the idea of wasting their time for example. For these people, the longer something takes, the more stressed out they become until each passing second becomes torture. Other people live their life in a panic, falsely believing that they don’t have enough time, or that their time is running out. So, by all means, let’s take a moment to celebrate the New Year. Timekeeping may be a human invention, but time itself is what makes this whole experience possible. Let’s commit to this being the year where we break through the illusory pressure of time and come to rest in the eternal peace of the present moment.
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 "As above, so below, as within, so without, as the universe, so the soul." ~Hermes Trismegistus This week’s quote is a reminder that the quest for harmony is an inside job. According to this philosophy, there is no difference between the infinite, eternal, divine world above and the earthly, finite, material world below- it’s all one and the same. The Earth is not merely a stepping stone on the way to Heaven, rather the Earth is Heaven itself. This seemingly ordinary world we all take for granted is actually the Divine in physical form.
This quote can also be interpreted on a more personal level, with “above” referring to the mind and thoughts, and “below” representing the body and its actions. Your thoughts (above) shape your reality (below). Your reality is a reflection of your inner state. That which resides "within" you- your thoughts, emotions, and intentions- inevitably manifests "without," shaping the reality you perceive and the life that you create. The final part of this quote touches on your relationship to the universe at large. It states that the microcosm and the macrocosm are intrinsically connected. That the invisible animating force within you is the same force that is found within all of life. That you are not separate from the whole, rather you are an expression of the same infinite energy and intelligence that is our universe. Therefore, strive to bring your inner and outer worlds into alignment. How you feel on the inside is going to influence the world you experience on the outside and vice versa. Whether you experience the world as hostile or harmonious really depends on your ability to maintain your internal balance. As Ram Dass once said, “The real work you have to do is in the privacy of your own heart. All of the external forms are lovely, but the real work is your inner connection.” |
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About The AuthorNick Hughes is a massage therapist, yoga instructor and co-owner of Well Being. Influenced by the ideas of Alan Watts, Eckhart Tolle, Ram Dass, and Deepak Chopra, Nick presents his unique take on human existence with the goal of helping others live a happier life. Archives
December 2024
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