Have you ever wondered why it seems that time passes so quickly the older we get?  Remember when we were young?  How we longed for summer vacation but it seemed to take forever for the school year to end?  These days it is nothing to suddenly find three months have passed with barely a notice.  There is a Latin phrase for this: Tempus Fugit - Time Flies 

 

Perhaps, and this is just a thought, perhaps it is anticipation that slows time and we, as adults, have lost the ability to anticipate.  As children we were free of distractions, free of burdens, free of responsibilities.  Our only tasks were to grow, learn and explore the world around us and so time went by slowly.  It seemed to take forrrreverrrr for a year to pass.

 
Then, as we entered adulthood, life became more complicated and hectic.   Once we added work, marriage and children, it became necessary to schedule our lives.  And because our time is parceled, it tends to move more quickly from timeframe to timeframe.   We find there is not enough free time to do the things we enjoy.  Our lives become routine, boring and mundane, but still even the mundane travels quickly. This is how time moves when living a scheduled life; it passes before we even notice that it has.

So how do we slow down time?  How do we minimize the routine, boring and mundane?  First of all we need to remember to only do the things that bring us joy.  Not in a hedonistic context but in a healthy, positive way.  Each of us controls our choices and if a task is unpleasant, then why are we doing it?  If we don't want to do it, but it is still necessary, perhaps it can be delegated and if it is not, then forgo it entirely.

Second, we should try to create more milestones because, by their very nature, milestones force us into anticipation mode.  For most of us, our yearly milestones are reduced to birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays.  But what about the rest of the year?  Where are the plans for joyous events?  How did we let ourselves be convinced there is no time for vacation?  If not weekly, do you plan to do something fun at least quarterly?  And it's not about money - even something simple like a potluck picnic in the park can be an event worth anticipating, especially if it's with family or special friends.

Finally, get conscious in your life.  Become aware of each and every minute and say 'yes' to the tasks, events, chores and commitments that make you happy.  Find a way to create the anticipation that slows down time. 

 

We began this article with a Latin phrase - Tempus Fugit and so we are going to end it with another:  Carpe Diem - Seize the Day.  It is a celebratory circle - the more conscious you are in choosing to do what gives you joy, the more you have to anticipate.  The more time you spend in anticipation, the slower time passes.  The slower time passes, the more time you have to do the things that give you joy!

 

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