Time

Thanksgiving is only a week away. Can you believe how fast time is flying? It’ll be Christmas before we know it.

As I wrote the above sentences, it made me think about “Time”, so let’s talk about it.

Sometimes it feels like time is standing still, especially for anyone who is ill, depressed, confined, or even those of us with Myasthenia Gravis or other chronic condition. That’s usually because we’ve become caught up in our situation. Those days when we’re extremely fatigued or don’t feel well, seem to drag on. The more we think about our symptoms or how poorly we feel, the slower time moves and the worse our symptoms get.

There are also times in our lives when time seems to be flying by. Life seems to be moving so fast that we have trouble keeping up. We often hear people say, “Where did the time go?” That’s because we can never get lost time back.

So, what’s my point? Time is relative to how we use it.

Einstein’s Theory of Relativity says: One can measure velocity only if the object or momentum is in relation to other objects. What that means is we can measure how fast things are moving by comparing them to other things.

When time seems to drag, it’s because we’re comparing it to the moment and how we’re using those moments. If we’re doing nothing, if we’re lying in bed, or if we’re thinking about how tired we are or how poorly we feel, time will seem like it’s standing still.

My theory on how to stop time from feeling like it’s dragging is to: do something. Maybe you’re stuck in bed; then read a book or listen to a podcast. Maybe you’re depressed; then get outside and get some fresh air. Put your time to good use and time will start moving again.

On the other hand, when we look at time in terms of this past year, it seems to be speeding by, but only if we fail to compare it to anything of value, like all that we’ve accomplished. If we forget about all the things we’ve actually done in the last year, of course it’s going to seem like time is flying by.

So, my theory on how to stop time from flying by is: accomplish something. Take a walk, call a friend, decorate your Christmas tree, write Christmas cards, wrap presents. When we accomplish things, time seems to slow down a little and doesn’t just pass us by. Whatever we’ve accomplished, no matter how big or small, will serve as proof that our time was well-spent. When it feels like the year has flown by too quickly, think of all you’ve accomplished. You’ve made your time relative.

Einstein would be proud of you!