“Forever is composed of nows.” – Emily Dickinson
Day 19 – Time Is Created in Consciousness
CENTERING THOUGHT
Time is the doorway to the timeless.
SANSKRIT MANTRA
Sanatana Hum (My awareness is eternal.)
Message of the Day
In today’s meditation, we discover that time is not an objective reality, and it has no power over our well-being, unless we give it that power. We create the concept of time from our consciousness. Time is useful as a mental construct to help us navigate our way through the needs and demands of the world, but it is not useful to look to time to know our essential nature – to know who we truly are. Time tells us we are a separate ego self and our fate depends on what happens to our bodies and minds. In truth, we are timeless, whole, ever-present awareness.
Journal Questions
- We fall into the illusions of time by projecting our attitudes onto daily situations. Take a moment to write down all the things that create drama in your life right now. Examples: Stress at work, endless chores and household duties, arguments and complaints at home or work, financial worries, health problems. Ask yourself if these are worries you will have six months, a year, or five years from now. How does this exercise help change your perspective of time and the stressors you are focused on right now?
- Two things are real: the present moment and your awareness. List a few activities that can help you merge the two, such as meditation, being mindful, noticing habitual and automatic reactions, reining in distractions, or feeling relaxed inside. How do these activities help you cultivate being in the “here and now”?
- When you begin to create a consistent present-moment awareness practice, it turns into a habit. If you were able to have a more regular experience of being in the “here and now” – or timelessness – how would this change your life?
- Reflect further on your experience today.