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It’s sometimes hard to wrap your mind around the notion of time… But it’s essential to remember its impacts! So let’s talk about 5 reasons why time is important for anyone who’s trying to practice mindful living.
Time is probably one of the most debated topics that exist. Why? Because it’s a crucial factor in our lives, it’s hard to understand and impossible to get back.
The idea of it is pretty intriguing… It’s such a powerful force that no one has control over.
In this post, we’ll break down the importance of time in our daily life and history, 5 reasons why time is important for any mindful human being, as well as some unexpected perks of being in the present moment (fascinating stuff!)
Let’s dive right into it!
This post presents 5 reasons why time is important for a mindful person.
📅 What is the importance of time in our daily life?
Time is pretty damn important because you can’t get it back and you don’t know how much you have left.
Our lives are practically ruled by the notion of time. Days, months, years, sunsets and dawns, lunar cycles, time management, calendars, schedules, timers, alarms, birthdays and anniversaries… Impressive, huh?
Apart from being constantly engaged in the time game, we are also affected by our perception of it non-stop. The way we see the past and the future has a big impact on our lives: our happiness, our mental health, our relationships.
And although each of the three “sisters” — past, present, and future — is important, more often we tend to forget about the one that makes us feel alive. We spend too much ruminating about what has already happened, or building scenarios in our heads of what is going to happen. (Spoiler: the present time is the most significant one!)
Later in this post, we’ll talk more in detail about the benefits of being present in the moment.
🏰 What is the importance of time in history?
First of all, without time there would be no history!
And without us understanding time, there would be no historical records. We are the only species on this planet who think about time, have some kind of picture of it, and try to get the best out of it. (Obviously, it doesn’t make us any better than other species. It’s not good or bad, it’s just how it is. It somehow plays a role in our mission and we should use our knowledge well.)
I believe one of the major powers of time is that it helps to correlate events with each other and see if there are any connections between them.
Oftentimes, when we look back at some affair, we might have a hard time explaining what happened and what were the reasons. But once we put everything in chronological order and consider all the circumstances and mutual influences of the events… That’s when we get a clear picture.
This helpful feature of the time (and history) makes it possible for us to not only learn from our ancestors’ mistakes but also draw conclusions and make decisions according to them.
🧘🏻♂️ 5 reasons why time is important for a mindful person
1. It helps us heal (and let go)
Time passing helps us get over things and let them go easier while focusing on more current ones. It works especially well if we actively help ourselves to do so through self-talk, journaling, self-care, and therapy.
For example, taking a couple of minutes to calm down during an argument, forgiving someone over time, getting over the trauma.
2. It teaches patience
Some things only come with time. You have no other choice rather than showing up every day and patiently waiting.
For example, building knowledge or skill, developing a business, growing a plant.
3. It introduces self-discipline
We only have a limited amount of time so we have to be disciplined to make it in the time that we’re given.
For example, using the Pomodoro technique for focus (another use of time!), giving up a party to wake up early to have a productive day, choosing your spiritual morning routine over scrolling on social media (Hint: schedule an automatic Downtime mode on your phone).
4. It teaches acceptance
You cannot undo what is done, because it’s in the past, and the past is… final. As well as you cannot jump forward a couple of weeks ahead to make your long-awaited vacation closer.
For example, learning to be resourceful and use what you already have, trusting your journey and timing, embracing your weaknesses.
5. It reminds us that we are creators of our life
Time shows us how some things that worked in the past might not be reasonable nowadays, so it’s up to us to make the change (and never be scared to be the first to begin!). It also reminds us that if we want something, we have to be the ones to make it a reality. Otherwise, chances are high that it’ll never happen.
For example, banning slavery after years and years of considering it a “norm”, beginning to use fingerprints for criminal records (initially, the idea of it was strongly rejected), working on yourself instead of trying to change someone else.
RELATED POST: How To Stay Positive When Nothing Is Going Right
✨ Unexpected benefits of being present in the moment
I’d like to expand a bit on this particularly crucial aspect of time — being present in the moment (since it’s the only thing we actually have anyway).
Most of the times, we should rather be completely here and now, than in some imaginary reality that we have no control over.
Here are some amazing benefits of being present which are so rewarding that you’d definitely want them to be a part of your life:
💭 Best memories come from being fully present
One day my sister and I were sitting with our legs dangling into the seawater in Montenegro.
It was a beautiful night, and a huge black starry sky opened up above us. The sea was almost still. We were sitting in our huge t-shirts and all we had with us was a bottle of wine. We talked about the natural essence of all people, about love and magic of the Universe.
Just ten meters away behind us, hiding under a living canopy of plants, there was a small courtyard with a gray brick house. Its green shutters were open with the windows looking at us through the darkness.
All that became our home for several hot summer weeks. But most importantly, it was our only and most real place at that moment in time. There was nothing more important than actual presence.
The most beautiful memories are those moments when the present makes you completely immerse yourself in what is happening and absorb every bit of it, every sound, every touch.
It’s usually extremely difficult not to be distracted even for a second by extraneous thoughts. It’s a challenge to dissolve in the moment and become an integral part of the “picture”. To do this, you either need to practice some meditation skills or just have something very deeply sensual, unusual, or unfamiliar occurring around you. Like that charming night that I was lucky to undergo.
🌱 Being fully present (with a pinch of gratitude) helps manifest our dreams
Being fully present teaches us to manifest our dreams.
By imagining that we already, at this moment, have something we want to have in our future, we’re actually making it happen. I always try to remember that the future is an abstract, non-existent concept. So what we do by imagining something happening in our lives right now, we’re actually making it happen.
We can even put together a recipe for dream manifestation:
Manifested dreams = Present moment + Gratitude, love and joy + Time
If you want to learn more about manifestation, I have a post about my favorite kind — scripting:
Scripting Manifestation: How to Create Your Dream Life
As for the other two components of the recipe that we have control over…
The best way to get into the present moment fast is to mediate. You literally need just a couple of breaths!
Here are my guides on meditation to check out (beginner-friendly!):
How to Meditate Spiritually: Complete Guide
How to Meditate in Bed: Quick Guide
Gratitude and love are very important in this recipe so here are some posts on that:
How to Thank The Universe (+ Examples From My Own Journal)
87 Powerful Affirmations for Self Love and Healing
💡 Getting surprising experiences and insights about yourself and the world
When you get immersed fully in the present moment, you start observing things that you normally wouldn’t notice.
You’re practically tapping into your subconsciousness, into the deeper senses, the elusive levels of comprehending the world. You start getting insights from the simplest and most insignificant (not unimportant though) moments.
For example, have you ever had a feeling…
1. When you are watching the peaceful movements of someone’s hands doing something like drawing, and are feeling warmth somewhere in the solar plexus. In moments like this, I want to freeze and watch forever, catching a strange tickling feeling in my chest.
Insight: It’s like an ASMR but for your eyes instead of ears.
2. You’re looking in the mirror. Peering into your eyes, notice your lips, nose, and hands. And for a second you feel like you don’t know this person. They repeat every subtle movement of yours, but you seem to be looking at them from the outside. Who is it?
Insight: We are so used to seeing ourselves in the mirror without thinking about it or questioning it. When you arrive in the present moment and focus on it, you might start wondering how this world works, and whether things are actually what you think they are.
3. It suddenly feels like time is slowing down dramatically. Vowels pronounced by people in words are stretched, turning into separate repetitive sounds. You seem to “hear” how time goes by.
Insight: I never figured this out and am still surprised and fascinated every time it happens, even if it’s so rare.
4. You’re looking at your palm and through your fingers, and you’re asking yourself: What kind of magic makes my hands move? They have life inside of them. You take a deep breath and feel the air move in and out of your body. The chest and abdomen expand and contract with each inhalation and exhalation.
Insight: Once you get grounded and present in the now, and aware of your own body, you start reflecting on things. You realize that breathing is not something you do, but something you observe when you breathe. It happens by itself, you cannot turn it on or off. This is the real magic that is always with you.
This post presented 5 reasons why time is important for a mindful person.
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