I read My Stroke of Insight (now a ted talk ) and it left a deep impression on me.
The more we exercise certain neurological pathways, the stronger, bolder they become. They become who we are, our habits, our personalities.
This is how a lot of anger issues and anxiety self-aggrandize. I allow that which perturbs to feed itself, twirling in the eddies of my own mind.
There is also the idea that routine and repetition, while also beneficial to progress and practice, can muddy your memory. The things you remember most are those that are unique - vacations to new places, the first time, remember when…
The scale of time compresses and expands to suit the experience. This supports the quickening of time with age, the older we get the more we repeat ourselves.
We can’t possible enjoy every moment, but we can choose which to process at depth.
Sometimes I notice that I am rushing through a moment or a task, hoping to get to the end. We chase efficiency, to minimize reptition.
What about now? Am I losing my memory, hurrying to another place? Am I looking to the future, when right now I could be stretching out each moment and try to enjoy what is in front of me?
Easier said than done, always.
Life is short, they say, but we also make moments long and empty when we want to be elsewhere, when something else seems better.
The scale of time is perception, as are we.
I’d love to do a better job using efficiency as a means to enjoyment, instead of always focusing on net output.
Can you tell I am procrastinating?
Featured photo is my kitten, Idgie, who took up tree climbing this past weekend