Lately I have been reflecting a lot on time. Anybody else?
It used to be that my thoughts around time looked different. How much time for a task? What time is that appointment? What time do we need to leave? How many things can I get done in this time? When will I have the time? How will I find the time? What is the time?
Over these weeks of quarantine, time has slowed down. Days stretch out before me and now there is time. One day rolls into the other without any real highlights or events to set them apart. We have fewer obligations, fewer appointments, fewer connections, fewer demands and yet, sometimes things don’t get done. My desire to do something good with this time is sometimes locked into a paralyzed state of being – mindless scrolling, “putzing around” the house and yard, seeking escape instead of digging in on something of substance. At such a time as this, the ‘great pause’ that we have been living in, most of us are wrestling with some kind of inconsistency, uncertainty, uncommon feeling or response.
My reflections now are about making this time matter. My hope in these days is to focus not only on the measurement of my time but on the quality and meaning of my time.
The Enneagram teaches about the orientation to time of each Type. It is connected to the stances from which we engage the world.
Types 3, 7, & 8 are in the Aggressive Stance. They are focused or most grounded in the future - thinking about, planning, and looking for opportunities ahead of them.
Types 1, 2, & 6 are part of the Dependent Stance. They are focused or most grounded in the present - available, and engaged in what is happening right now.
Types 4, 5, & 9 are part of the Withdrawing Stance. They are focused or most grounded in the past – thinking about and studying things that have already happened, their meaning, and perhaps reflecting on ways they could have been different.
As we do the work of The Enneagram and begin to learn about our own orientation to time and that of those with whom we do life, we discover the gift that we bring to one another.
Future focus allows us to dream and plan and prepare. Present focus creates an environment of compassion and offers the ability to be in the moment. Past focus brings wisdom, learning from people and events in our history. As we explore and cultivate this understanding, we can each learn to appreciate how the past shapes us, become present with others in the moment, and build a strong and healthy vision for the future. This is a recipe for meaningful, quality time.
These days, what are your reflections on time?