I was charmed. He was a scholar of his native Balinese religion and culture, and he was an artist. What he meant was that he would be devoting his time to his devotions: studying ancient texts, praying, making offerings, attending to the spiritual life of his village.

 

I loved his not-quite-accurate, but fully meaningful way of expressing that practice.

 

And I thought: I want to spend my life devoting! To devote would be far more meaningful than "spending" my time, "using" it, or even "living" it.

 

If I consider how I wish to devote, how I choose to devote, I immediately feel compelled to ask: How do I want to be with the time I have? What activities and thoughts and preoccupations will I choose to devote myself to? What attitude will I bring to each moment, each activity?

 

If I focus my attention on devoting, then I am more inclined to give to what I do a measure of honor, respect, and dedication that is missing if I am merely spending. To "devote," whether it's to walking in a forest, washing dishes, making a clay pot on a potter's wheel, or anything else, I engage with my full being in what I do, not casually, not accidentally, but, yes, devotedly.

Photo: A. Agung Detra Rangki making offerings at Puri Rangki, Global Earth Exchange 2013, Abianbase, Bali

 

 

Not all time that's not consciously applied to something worthwhile is necessarily time badly used. As this Calvin and Hobbes cartoon makes plain, sometimes simply hanging out and doing nothing is a delight, especially if you can do it with your best friend. (Even more so if your best friend happens to be a tiger.) Sometimes the break from routine is not only pleasurable, but just what your brain and body need to be stimulated with new energy. Einstein once remarked that "creativity is the residue of time wasted."

 

One of the characters in Camus' novel, The Plague, explains how not to waste time: "By being fully aware of it all the while. Ways in which this can be done: By spending one's days on an uneasy chair in a dentist's waiting-room; by remaining on one's balcony all of a Sunday afternoon; by listening to lectures in a language one doesn't know; by traveling by the longest and least-convenient train routes, and of course standing all the way; by lining up at the box office of theatres and then not buying a seat; and so forth."

 

Some ways of "wasting" time are pleasurable, however, precisely because they allow you to tune out the world. Television is considered an especially heinous time-waster. I often hear people say, "I don't watch TV, but..." and then they tell me about something they've watched on TV. Confession: there are a few shows I not only watch but try hard not to miss: Downton Abbey, Mad Men, Project Runway. Sometimes I waste time on Facebook. Sometimes I read People magazine in the dentist's waiting room instead of the book I've brought.

 

Live well, I say. Devote yourself to your time, rather than simply spending time. And if, occasionally, you can't do that, don't waste time apologizing.

 

My book, The World Is a Waiting Lover, with a foreword by Thomas Moore, author of Care of the  Soul, is available from Amazon.com or from your favorite bookstore. It's also available as an e-book!

 Youth Vision Fast 

(recommended for people ages 17-23) 

July 15-25 

In the high desert of eastern California 

To recognize and mark the moment when a young person turns toward adulthood takes great courage, especially in a culture that has all but forgotten the importance of honoring this transition. With the intention of finding and facing your deepest truths, your strengths and weaknesses, you then turn toward the critical questions: "Who am I to be in the world?" and "What are my gifts?" This opportunity is both a great challenge and a simple task, providing the possibility of returning home with a timeless memory in your bones and a profound connection to the Earth, ready to embark on the life-long quest of finding and making your place in the world.

Guides: Will Scott and Trebbe Johnson 

August 9-16 

Seventh Annual Bali from Within

Bali from Within is a journey into the heart of one of the most beautiful places in the world, geographically, culturally, and artistically. In this trip, which is limited to only 4 participants, we work with Balinese guides who, over the years, have become friends. Together you will explore Bali in ways that tourists cannot do:

*take a village walk and learn about sacred architecture and its role in everyday life

*luxuriate at Bali Botanica, a spa by a riverside in Ubud

Cost: $3,950.

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