You run out of time! Too many signals not to ponder about this theme (especially at the end of the year).

What time is it? Hoe laat is het? Quelle huere est-ill? ¿Qué hora es? Skol'ko syejchas vryemyeni? Perhaps the most asked daily question in the world.

Your run out of time! No, not the time. The time, likely, will go on for ever. Your time!

Did you use your time, so far, wisely? To be still? To cherish? To be grateful for your uniqueness and share your specific gifts as purpose? To live your dream instead of dreaming your life?

As a present and reward, from a Russian / Ukrainian family, - mother, father and two children – I recently worked with together, I got a book. "The Time Keeper" (author Mitch Albom). For several years already, at first request, I organize the program "Time is everything". Reading the book again offered me the connection, no to be honest attachment, to focus on this amazing theme and the insights you can get of it. Last week, because I got a serious traffic accident and a good too young friend of mine passed away (the next one) with his dreams what to do after retirement, again I had to face this theme deeply. 

At the canopy above the front door of my little house here in Thailand, a couple of years ago I placed the text: "The clock will not find you here". A twofold significance. On the one hand it shows that we have no clock in my house (only one without a battery  showing "five to twelve"). I do not want a clock to be the leader (or making me suffer of my time at home. On the other hand we invite the guests who want to visit us in this house to be there for each other. To re-claim conversation and do not feel in a hurry or stressed up. If you enter my house, better to leave your clock outside or turn it off. I do not appreciate disturbance in personal connection and face-to-face communication. Just out of respect.

I live here now more than four and a half years. Once I was really fond of watches. I believe I had over twenty. I must have them somewhere in a box, but did not find them so far. I am not wearing watches anymore to be the master of my life, as I do not wear any jewellery (accept a very thin golden chain my mother once gave to me to protect me).

My dog and owl do not wear a watch as well. That may sound a bit ridiculous but looking more deeply, only human beings brought the clock / time in their lives (thinking even more deeply you can see it as bringing in electric light so we are able to extend our working days in a day…). Because of this phenomenon we cannot live without time, we think. Animals do not have a clock. They obey nature, they go with the flow, follow their feelings, the rhythm of the day and the seasons.

More and more clock’s not only control our lives, they take hostage of our life. Even time management appears to be only a ‘tool’ to more and more laugh about. To schedule time in your agenda once a week for your relationship? Start to laugh about it! What are you doing? Is this really LIVING life in a spontaneous way?

It does not solves anything in the stress we experience. We run our lives as if time is running out. Be aware, time never runs out! Time goes on till the final ‘end of time’ God knows when… Ever thought about the idea only YOUR time is running out? Just a common and very natural principle related to life. Creation, Sustenance, Destruction, Silence (AUM).

And if you realize this, then ask yourself - perhaps specifically in this period of the end of the year – or even wonder, "What the hell is my life all about? What am I doing? Does this satisfy me? Who am I pleasing the way I act (run)? Is my life worth it? Great to pay my/our monthly mortgage and debts to enrich banks, pay for the caretaking of our children, having no free/private time anymore, destroying (yourself or together as partners) your relationship. But… the environment is proud and accepts the show (we only think). " Showing the environment how ‘happy’ we live, what a great jobs we have and what wonderful places we live…  And… there is always more to achieve… Other people show us so… let’s go for it…

We always want more, better, one step higher on the social ladder (I know all about it) until we discover what damage we made to ourselves and to others. Still going on in this vicious circle. And time ... always goes on, never stops... but never comes back.

Ever watched your breathing? Your breathing is showing it but we hardly are aware. If you stop breating… no more goodies. In a split second all you “have” (had) gone… Your ‘power’, ‘status’, ‘position’, reality gone. “Rich” or poor. Maybe for a very short time you can be aware of it but… that time very often is too late. You discover you created your own live (being unconscious about it).

Time is your biggest asset. We run our lives firmly thinking, or not even thinking, it will never come to an end. And the end of our time still may perhaps might take a while (though? my experience working in the fire department, emergency response and crisis management and my road traffic accident last week again really change my thoughts). But you can be for 100% sure your life will not go on forever.

Time may have brought a lot and made a lot of things and processes 'measurable'. Time also raped our lives. And with our continuous mode of clinging to it we harm ourselves and our environment more and more. We even do not enjoy the moments in life we are aware of living. Running to the future because we think some happiness is waiting for us. Not even aware we are (in most cases) standing on top of it.

Just an invitation to give it a try. Especially at the holiday season that’s starting today. Try for a while to live without a clock. Go to bed when you're tired, wake up when the birds outside start to sing their early morning wake up songs. Go for an early morning walk and be inspired. Take off your watch and switch off all the clocks in your house, on the walls, on your nightstand, of your microwave, your phone (so switch it off), in the kitchen, or anywhere (you'll be surprised how many clocks you have). Do not want them to rule your life for a while.

We do not realize the sound the world makes – unless, of course, it comes to a stop. Then, when it starts, it sounds like an orchestra.

An invitation, just for once in your life, to give it a try at the end of the year and to make life a new experience again.

For me it feels great. The clock won’t find you here (nearly) anymore in my house and I experience ongoing freedom around my wrist.

We wish you a Merry Christmas and an even higher awareness of the coming year 2017 or 2560 (because that’s the year we already start to live in Thailand. What about time? ;) 

Frans Captijn

Host / Catalyst / Talenteer at Captijn Insight

Captijn Insight: “Catalyst in your process to new sustainable flow in life and work. Whether you are an individual, couple, team or an organization.” 

www.captijninsight.com

captijninsight@gmail.com