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Time: Kronos or Kairos? How many of us can truthfully say that we have plenty of time for everything that is important to us? How many of us feel that we have wasted time, that we should do more with our time? What is time? In The Elegant Universe, Brian Greene tells us that time is a dimension and that "most of an object's motion is through time, not space." That's the science viewpoint. Jean Shinoda Bolen gives us another point of view in Close to the Bone, in which she explains two very different kinds of time: kronos and kairos. Kronos time is what we live with on a daily basis. It is measured by clocks, hours, minutes, and seconds. It often seems to be more of a nemesis or taskmaster than a friend. There is rarely enough of it, and we feel stressed out as we race the clock to go about our regular activities. Kronos time is what we schedule and make appointments in. Kairos time, on the other hand, flows gently -- allowing us to be in the moment. We participate in kairos time, rather than racing to catch up with it. Kairos time may occur during meditation, the creative process, rocking a baby, reading a well written book, and other activities that are personally meaningful to us. One is wholly absorbed in the moment, unhurried and unaware of time passing. These are the moments that nurture our souls. Steven R. Covey asks, in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, "Is getting more things done in less time going to make a difference, or will it just increase the pace at which I react to the people and cirscumstances that seem to control my life? Could there be something I need to see in a deeper, more fundamental way -- some paradigm within myself that affects the way I see my time, my life, and my own nature?" The answers to these questions can help us to discern between kronos time and kairos time. In The Simple Living Guide, Janet Luhrs advises us to "think of time as sacred." When we think of it that way, it becomes easier to set limits and to say "no." If we consider our time as sacred, we will evaluate and reevaluate commitments and priorities. Which activities nurture us, and which drain us? Can we afford to say "yes" to joining a group we have been asked to join? Think very carefully before adding more "stuff to do" into your life. Ms. Luhrs says, "We need to be able to discriminate between activities . . . When we lack discrimination . . . (w)e say yes to every other activity or task that comes our way because we think we need to accomplish . . . constantly. We can't keep up . . . Then anxiety sets in. We need to look at every new temptation very carefully and ask ourselves what it will do to our lives. If it is absolutely necessary, or if it will add to our lives in a positive, not frenetic, way, then we should say yes. Otherwise, our lives will be better off if we allow more open, free-flowing time by saying no." If we think of time as
sacred, we will allow ourselves time
to be alone, during which we can
recharge our emotional batteries. We
will allow ourselves time to pursue
those things that truly enrich our
lives, the things that we love to do,
and the things that we need to do in
order to maintain our physical and
mental health. |
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