Where Does the Time Go?

"There is more to life than increasing its speed." ~ Mohandas Gandhi

I wonder where the year went. I wonder why time goes by so fast. I just can't seem to slow it down. Sometimes I blame technology. Sometimes I blame my job. Most times I don't think about it because I'm so darn busy.

And therein lies the real reason - busyness. We call ourselves human beings but let's face it, there's very little "being" going on today and a whole lot of "doing". Most people hate to "kill time". They feel like every minute has to be filled or they're wasting it. But what's wrong with that? What's wrong with a long pregnant pause or stopping to watch the trail of a jet in the sky or watching kids play or taking the time to just chat with someone in the grocery? When was the last time you saw a butterfly and took time to really look at it - how its tiny antenna curled over its tiny little bug face? It's not like saving time is a real thing you know.

You can't put it in the "time bank" and get it back when you need it. That's just a lie we tell ourselves so we don't realize we haven't any control over how quickly it passes. What if what we think of as saving time is actually wasting it, and what we think of as wasting time is actually saving it?

With that in mind I'm thinking of putting this on my tombstone ~ "Her lies Kris. She wasted time." ~ It has a nice ring to it.

The Part We Play

We only get a certain amount of time to be on this planet and it's an extremely short period of time to boot. It's so short we consider it precious. To be alive is a rare gift that we must honor, value, and cherish. It must not be squandered. We must find out our purpose in life, accomplish it, and leave the world better for it.

This innate sense of self sets us apart from the rest of creation. Our need to feel meaningful, that our lives have intrinsic value beyond simple existence, that we are individually unique and special. This is what drives us throughout our lives.

Perhaps a better question is why human beings have such big egos to start with, but putting that aside I'm willing to explore that maybe it's true. Maybe we are put here for a specific purpose.

What if our gift, our talent, our purpose which was uniquely given to us was part of a larger bigger more magnificent organism? What if we carried only a piece of the puzzle? What if we belonged to something more wondrous than any of us could possibly do on our own?

What if we could see our connectedness? What if we could understand the amazingly complex integration of our actions? How much more positive a force for good we could be! Instead of fighting each other for space, time, and recognition we could work together supporting our differences knowing we all have a part to play.

Hmmm, me thinks it's not such a bad idea.

Give Until the Love Runs Out

This I know and have no doubt. That we were meant to love and care for one another. Oh, it's not always easy. It can be quite hard at times. But when love takes effort the reward is so much sweeter.
So pass on the grace you have been given. Pay it forward, pay it backwards, pay it sideways, I don't care. Just give until the love runs out, give until the love runs out, give until the love runs out.

Natural Law of Voids

Isn't it funny how you can wake up in the middle of the night and if you don't fall back to sleep quickly enough suddenly you've got so much on your mind you wonder where it was all hiding in your head? It's almost like there's a natural law of voids.

Story

As a story lover I'm always keenly aware that each and every one of us are actively writing our own stories. Sometimes stories write themselves. Sometimes we have to work at writing them. And sometimes we have to go back and edit those stories for the endings we really want.

The stories Storytellers tell audiences are actually microcosms of the stories we live. This is why storytelling is so effective. It speaks to us on some level or another. Storyteller's understand the power story has and how they can touch, affect, and sometimes alter people's lives.

Truth is at the heart of every story. Sometimes it's about the heroine and sometimes it's about the villain. But it's always about finding what is at the heart of the main character. What they are made of? How do they handle the circumstances thrown at them? In our life stories the plot twists can be our inconsistent actions and reactions. Unexplainable to us and people who know us. But at the conclusion of the story it all becomes clear because we can't be false about who we truly are when it's all said and done.

Perhaps the simplest story is; a man was born, he lived, he loved, he died. But there is so much more to the story. At a time when there seems to be so little intrinsic value in anything there is so much value in Story. Stories can distract us from the pain and suffering of life, but they can also inform us about our resilience and heroism. They teach us we are more than the momentary trials and tribulations we face. We are meant to soar . . . to soar, to fly, and to overcome. Even in death we tell ourselves stories of eternity. We will - we must - live on. We are too wonderfully and mysteriously made to do otherwise.

So go boldly and write your story. Put meat on those bones. Imagine the possibilities. Face the dragons. Kiss the frog. Save the Princess. Enjoy the journey. Make it your own. In the end those who knew you best and loved you well will have your story in their hearts and there you will live forever.

Making Sense

I hope in the end this'll all make sense. I've tried to always be true to myself. I've been willing to change my mind when given the facts. I've tried to be open to new ideas, philosophies, and concepts. People have always come first for me. It's always been about people. So I've just followed my nose with that as my guide. Still, life hasn't always felt consistent. I haven't always been where I thought I should be even though I honestly couldn't tell you where that would be. Funny that. So let's just say my life has pretty much unfolded the way it probably should have regardless of my best laid plans. And maybe that's how it is for everyone. I don't know. But I'm not done yet. I have a few more chapters to write. And I'm going to keep trying to be open, because you never know the affect you can have on a single individual on any given day. And that, in the end, may be what makes all the difference.

Kindness

I really believe that kindness can heal the world. I don't think you have to be perfect to be kind, you just have to be willing. You just have to step out and take the risk of doing something selfless. Willing to get nothing in return except knowing you did the right thing. Just act out of a good heart and with genuine care. Because it doesn't have to be a big thing. It can be as simple as a smile or as warm and obvious as a hug. It's what makes us human. It's what feeds our souls.