Instant Now

The time is NOW

In this modern world of the instant everything, patience has become quite a commodity. Why wait for anything?  Anything and everything is instantly at your fingertips…the world is at your command…at least it seems that way in this hectic fast paced treadmill we run on.

Hungry for “food”? Zap your meal in the microwave. Hungry for “knowledge”? Look it up online (Wikipedia anyone?)  Hungry for “love”? You can get that too (find your match for “free”) We are all so hungry most of us are obese in the Western world. In the US everything is supersized; the roads, the buildings, the people, our egos…

There is no reason to wait for anything, which is just as well. There is no time in which to wait. No one wants to wait but a little waiting can be a good thing. Waiting builds patience and tolerance. Not having everything we want exactly when we want it, builds character. Idle time gives the mind the opportunity to roam about and explore. Time to oneself can lead to quiet reflection which may perhaps lead to thinking for oneself. This once basic aspect in all of humanity is not as prevalent. We are bombarded with distractions and instant satisfactions all from a limited amount of sources. It is easier and quicker of course more economical to go with the tried and true…life is going at light speed and if you don’t get it together you will quickly be left behind.
Don’t stop and think, hurry along…

Our society does not appreciate slowness, consideration or thoughtfulness.
As circumstances in my life have forced to me to acknowledge and appreciate the concept of free time all the more, I am realising how essential it is to the spirit and well-being to have time to just plain do nothing. This sort of time is a rare commodity for most of us. Somehow many of us must conjure up from seemingly nowhere this mystical magical “free time”…while mostly juggling one obligation for the next, each one taking a chunk of our time….until we run out…

Are we but a cog in the wheel of time?

No wonder we are in such a hurry….
I have watched one minute go by on the microwave. The perfect time for heating up tea or coffee and I’ve noticed as the pace of life speeds up, the longer and longer that short little minute seems.
A minute is a long time….
Ever been put on hold?  Wait in line? Wait at a long red light when you are running late for work?
Given the right perspective, the matter of a few seconds can feel like an eternity.

The Societal concept of patience is slowly eroding. It is a muscle that needs to be exercised. I think a little waiting is good for a person and a little idle time and dare I say boredom, is a concept that needs to be embraced as a positive rather than a negative. When the mind is allowed such time for exploration it can and will go places. These are the times that bring insight and clarification.

I ran across the following quote;

“Why is patience so important?”
“Because it makes us pay attention.”

― Paulo Coelho

When was the last time you stopped to smell the roses?

Or went for an aimless walk? When was the last time you simply did nothing for no reason in particular?

There is something to be said for that…

.

~SBI

Related You Tube

Modern Times starring Charlie Chaplin on You Tube

Related articles

• Removing Thoughts of Instant Gratification (growthinrecovery.wordpress.com)
• Instant Gratification vs. Patience (fosterwhitney.wordpress.com)
• Time spent statistics infographic  (infographiclist.com)
• Desire for instant gratification may be hardwired (psychcentral.com)