I’ve spent a lot of time over the past year paying attention to stress.  When I start to notice that black cloud creeping over my being, I try to notice how it makes me feel physically, how it impacts my outlook, and also what thoughts seem to be driving the intense feeling of overwhelm that I typically experience when I’m in this state.

I’ve started to realize that the majority of the time the main driver of stress is “time.”

Sometimes it’s when I have more stuff on my plate than I believe I can handle, and I feel like there isn’t enough “time” in the day to get everything done.

There are other times where I think about the future, and all the stuff I want to do “someday,” and I begin to feel anxious that I may not have enough time to accomplish it all.

There are other times where I’m running behind, and I feel an intense anxiety as I realize I’m going to be “late,” and I start to make up scenarios in my mind of how the other people are going to feel about my tardiness.  This usually drives me to use “being too busy” as an excuse to temper their judgement of me.

Think about how many times throughout the day you obsess about “time” in one way or another.  How often do those obsessions result in positive and uplifting thoughts and feelings?  If you’re at all like me, the answer is NEVER.

The most interesting thing about the discomfort we experience due to “time,” is that it doesn’t exist.  It is a concept that we humans have created, and for some reason we’ve allowed this concept to grow into a “thing” that causes us far too much pain and suffering (in my opinion).

Now before you discount this entire post as a bunch of philosophical “gobbledy gook”, think about it for a second…

How many times have you truly “ran out of time” in your day when you were trying to accomplish things that were extremely important to you?

If you feel as though this has actually occurred, answer the following question…

Was it truly something time “did” to you, or was it a result of your poor planning or prioritization?

Ouch! This question hurts doesn’t it?   I know it does … from personal experience. When I examine my behavior, and I’m completely honest with myself, I must admit that I mostly use “time” as an excuse so others don’t judge me too harshly and think I’m being disrespectful (which is a whole other topic).

As I’ve slowly accepted the reality that “time” doesn’t exist, and that WE are actually the creators of “time,” things have gotten much easier.  I feel as though I’ve eliminated one of my fiercest enemies. Whenever I notice the memories of this self-created “monster” creeping back into my mind, I quickly remind myself that “the monster” doesn’t exist.  When I do this, the negative thoughts and feelings quickly dissipate, as well as the physical manifestations of the stress created by this non-existent “thing.”

Have you overcome feeling as though you’re a victim of “time,” or is that something that you actively struggle with today?  Regardless, I’d love to hear how it has impacted you in the past or strategies you’ve used to break free from the power of this “monster.” Leave a comment below!

Until next time … Enjoy each moment!

Pete