Different Experiences With Time

Time, like money, is means/vehicles for what they enable - time is life; money is medium of exchange.

People's time dominance

People's dominances (key strengths and uniqueness), cultural history, experiences, and circumstances greatly influence how they deal with and perceive time. X dominated people are quite linear about their time, seeing accomplishments, education, purpose, etc. as things to be "time managed". Y dominated people try and find meaningful time, get closer to people, pause for listening and conversation, see the beauty, get distracted on explorations and make connections to people and things to some kind of understanding. Z dominated people use inspirations to motivate bursts of moments, see uniqueness, create art, and draw the spirit into and from situations so that time moves to a seemingly different dimension and reality.

Time convergence

The 3 elements of time both intermingle and are in tension with each other and call for convergence and resonance. The dynamic interplay of the forces of time plays out constantly in seconds and minutes and over longer periods and spans of time. As creatures of habit, humans fall into patterns and are greatly influenced by people, culture, our work, our responsibilities, and upbringing. From deep within our psyche we come to see and feel about where we create and produce value and are valued. Those who people seek out for a meaningful conversation tend to resonate with the “Y” in themselves and the value it can bring others. While not in a job description, these “Y” roles play out often in the dealings in work situations in organizations everywhere. Y can often be the unrecognized and underappreciated work of time that serves as the glue and elixir enabling moments of great Z inspirations and X achievements.

Life is all about choices

Our choices define who we are and who we become. Amidst our choices sits our make-up and perspective on situations we are in. All of these are dramatically affected by our concept of meaning, purpose and time. Time, is the variable of my Points & Moments book – where in fact, better understood, will change dramatically how you live, find meaning and purpose, gain perspective and see things, and, indeed, how you make choices from herein forward.

Time is viewed very differently depending on where you live in the world. People prioritize different aspects of time depending on their cultural values and traditions. And, depending on your faith, your time of “living” is finite, infinite, and/or forever changing.

For many people living in America and the industrialized world, time is chronological – it is quantified, studied, clocked, and something to manage for ever better efficiency, productivity and maximization for getting what you want out of life. However, when I took a trip to a monastery, and in cultures that are more “eastern” in philosophy, I found that beliefs and views on time change markedly. Here, meditation and pausing and silence are highly valued as a means to a deeper world of time and strength. Pauses for yoga and centering are practiced right amidst corporate meeting rooms and outside sitting areas. On a recent spring break trip with my daughter to Italy we found yet another take on time – here siestas are taken and much of work is a means to more time with family and friends. Love, vitality, food, art, and relations are so highly valued that a fight in the park between two men might at first seem to be about a relationship, only to discover it is over where the best mozzarella comes from. At the core of these cultures, is a profoundly different relationship to and understanding of time.