I just had a very interesting experience involving the passing of time. Having already had a long day at the office, I ended the afternoon with a project needing several hours of really concentrated, focused work. The deadline is tomorrow, but I wanted to get it finished so I worked on as the sky outside became greyer and one by one, my colleagues left for the evening calling cheery goodbyes. Silence fell over the office. Eventually I finished the job and packed up to leave.
Although feeling virtuous and the slightest bit smug for having finished, I was also tired and fed up. I glanced at my watch but didn’t really register the time. I knew it must be late, though. When I reached my station I got the first train to my stop, and realised from the minutes to the hour that I wouldn’t actually get in until about 10.00 p.m. More fed up, very hungry and tired.
I snoozed on the train and kept thinking how tired I would be in the morning, how I didn’t want to come in and spend time cooking, blah, blah, blah.
Then as the train pulled in to my station I glanced at my watch. And glanced again. It was only 8.30 p.m! I’d obviously read the time wrong at the station.
And all my tiredness fell away – great, I’d have time to cook a nice supper, do some reading, maybe a little trashy TV, get a good seven hours’ sleep. My entire mood changed.
And it struck me, not for the first time, how much we’re governed by our thoughts. If our perception of something is wrong, our reactions will be different and possibly (probably) more negative. And negative thoughts and reactions can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Of course that’s the whole premise of books like The Secret. I have some issues with The Secret, but it’s certainly the case that we have a choice how to see things, and a choice how to react, and that can make us physically feel quite different. It was a useful reminder.
Anyway, enough of that. I hadn’t planned to write a blog post tonight and if I stop now, I’ve enough time to fit in a bit of trashy TV before bed!
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
What a wonderful post! The hour and a half was like a gift, and yet, all of our time is just that, isn’t it? We simply don’t notice. And I agree with you regarding the Secret — too simplified but it has some good points, the main one being the idea of the power of our perceptions. I will think about you on that train now for some time, trying to catch myself “misreading the station clock!”
wonderful post, tess! i love the premise of having a choice about how we react. when we facilitate workshops we ask that participants remove their watches and we have no clocks in the main room. it really removes lots of barriers from “i’m tired” to “i must be hungry because it’s 12:00.”
this was a fabulous example! i am reading a great book on the psychology of mindfulness called “wise heart.” it speaks to much of what you write.
enjoy your nice long evening
blisschick: thanks for your comment. I think I have some kind of time-dyslexia around the 24-hour clock. There’s something in my brain that thinks 20:00 should be 10.00 p.m.!!
lucy: how very interesting that you ask your workshop participants to remove their watches. If I were taking a workshop I think that would make me very anxious. Which is an interesting thing to contemplate.
So true, so true! Perception and attitude are such important choices for how you look at and how you react to everything. What a wonderful surprising gift of time you got tonight!
We’re waiting to see how hurricane Hanna affects us and I have in mind things I’ll do if we lose electrical power and where the candles are. Wonder if I’ll still do those things if we do have electrical power ….?
Really great clock picture, too.