Reflections on time

I find myself passing time while trying to look for a very good topic to write about this rainy afternoon. I turn to different modes of distraction to slow down my very active brain. With different things to do left and right, it is difficult to find focus amid a very noisy landscape. At this point, I recall an activity I did this week about opportunities to give a younger version of myself. Of course, I said I would want to give the gift of time.

The generation of teenagers these days seems so hung up on the instant. They want to know everything in advance, even when told to take it easy or slow down. At one point, they are so excited and give it their all, but in the next few moments, they hit a slump and shun the tasks that need to be completed. They often use the words “burnout,” which is legitimate in every sense. The harder question is how to manage it without wearing ourselves or each other out.

I wonder if my background in an intense high school environment taught me to toil even when I was not feeling well, or if there is simply greater emphasis now on well-being. While these concerns are valid, it seems that time for the much-needed break is often what gets taken away. As it is, a second passes faster than the blink of an eye. Before we realize it, we are already in the last quarter of the year. We think about the promises we made at the start of the year and gauge whether we can still fulfill them. Time has indeed taken its toll on all of us.

To return to the gift of time, I would always encourage the young to take things calmly and at their own pace. Nothing beats a relaxed pace of life while getting to know oneself. There is so much out there to discover about what we can actually do, and speeding things up might do more harm than good. Waiting is also one of the most challenging things to do. Like delayed gratification, it teaches us that not everything worthwhile needs to happen immediately.

Perhaps the real value of time lies not in how much we accomplish in a day, but in how much of ourselves we give to the things that matter. There is a difference between making the most of our time and filling every moment of it. If I could give my younger self anything, I would say there is no need to rush into becoming the person you are meant to be. Some lessons take years to understand, and some opportunities arrive only when we are ready for them. We may not always have control over how quickly time passes, but we can choose how we spend it. After all, life is not a race against the clock. Sometimes, the best thing we can do is slow down, breathe, and allow time to do its work.