Learning to live in the moment

"How did it get so late so soon? Its night before its afternoon. December is here before its June. My goodness how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon? ~Dr. Seuss

Dr. Seuss was a wise man and a wonderful children's author, but also a man filled with humorous thoughts and anecdotes. I love this quote by him on time and speaking of time, that brings me to the subject of today's post.

I used to wear a watch. I even slept in it. I was always looking at it and making sure I knew the exact time. I let my watch govern my life. I was always punctual. I was never, ever late. I never realized how much I depended on my watch until I was hospitalized for breast cancer surgery.

When you have surgery, you aren't allowed to wear any jewelry and that includes watches. You aren't supposed to wear makeup, deodorant, or perfume. You don't even get to wear your own clothes! You have to don the very ugly hospital gown with the opening in the back. Sometimes, if you're lucky,you get to keep your underwear but 9 times out of 10, they take those too.

Something happened to me after I had my surgery. When I woke up in the recovery room, I was so thankful to be alive and have a second chance at life. I decided from that moment on, I would not ever focus on time again. I determined that I was going to take each moment as it came and treasure it as a wonderful gift.

My watches are safely tucked away in my jewelry box. They tick so quietly I don't even hear them even though I know they're there. I feel so free without my watch to constantly remind me of obligations and expectations.

When did we become a society that is so time conscious? It seems everything in our lives revolves around the clock. I'm so thankful I can have the freedom not to be a clock watcher. It's amazing how time constraints vanish when there's no watch to catch your eye.

Since I've stopped wearing my watch, I know it's time to get up when I wake up and I know it's time to eat when I get hungry. I know it's time to sleep when I get tired. My internal clock doesn't tick out the time but gives me a soft, gentle nudge when I need to take care of my body.

When I'm visiting with friends, I'm not constantly glancing at my watch thinking I need to hurry on to my next appointment. I can focus on just being in the moment and those moments stretch on as long as possible. I love it and the days seem so much longer now!

If you find yourself relying on your watch or your clock to tell you when and where to come or go, try going a few days without it. It may take you some time to disassociate yourself from the constraints of time, especially if you're still a vital part of the workforce. (I'm retired, so I don't have to worry about the 9 to 5 any more.)

Time. We've all been given the same 24 hours in a day.  The same 1440 minutes. The same 86,4000 seconds. How will you use your time? Will you constantly check your watch or the clock? Will you follow a regimented schedule or will you break free from the bands of time? Learn to live in the moment. It will change your life. I know it's changed mine for the better.

Some beautiful thoughts on time:

"Time and tide wait for no man." ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

"Time flies over us, but leaves its shadow behind." ~Nathaniel Hawthorne

"Know the true value of time; snatch, seize, and enjoy every moment of it. No idleness, no laziness, no procrastination: never put off till tomorrow what you can do today." ~ Philip Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield

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