If space and time are relative, what does this mean for daily life? I think that it entails making space for alternative framings of time. If I am stuck in the idea that I do things to meet required deadlines and treat my life as a series of time blocks, I will quickly realize how vexing this kind of life can be. Overscheduling is already a common phenomena with many people. It seems that the convenience of modern scheduling technology such as texting and blackberry makes it easier to cram more things into a given day. But the result is a less clear or at least 'organic' sense of what the body can or cannot take, or even what could be fulfilling about life.
An example might be what happened to me as I was riding on the subway today. As I was standing and leaning against the glass plate of the door frame (for lack of any available seat), I seemed to feel a sense of time stretching, compounded with the desire to be at home. It was then that I realized that the sense of 'time stretching' was not about the slowness of the train or the long stretches between the stops. Rather, it was more about my desire to be 'somewhere else', which came from a thought about the future. I then contemplated why this desire was so strong in me, and reflected on past times when I was able to enjoy the subway ride as an opportunity to read a stimulating book. Then I adjusted my attitude by giving myself a chance to enjoy the book in my bag. Gradually, I started to learn that the suffering of time was caused by my fixed understanding of time: "I should be home by this time; I should have accomplished x by that time", and so on. Had I let go of attachment to time and realized that there is no moment as valuable as the current one, I would not have generated such a vexation in mind.
Therapists often talk about creating 'supportive space', such as through a sharing circle or a team of health professionals. But I wonder, could there be such a thing as 'supportive time'? Is it possible to create a therapeutic and healing relationship with time, so that a person can spontaneously adjust their sense of time when they feel 'squeezed' or pressured? I believe that such a 'time therapy' is possible. Of course, the obvious answer would be to meditate. For one thing, meditation can reduce one's attachment to past, present and future, thus allowing one's mind to rest in a timeless awareness that is always here. But a somewhat more analytic approach would be to consider what is in the 'future' that is blocking me from embracing what is happening now. Is the future real? Is it so desirable for me to cherish this concept of 'the future' or is it only an impediment that creates present suffering? Is it a reality, or only a fictitious sort of ideal? Sometimes when we finally reach the terminal destination, we might realize how empty it is, because we weren't able to enjoy the process of getting there.
There is another aspect to this respect for time, and I believe it has to do with an ability to skilfully use the mind to appreciate life's aspects. I say 'skilfully' because I sometimes think appreciation is presented as something that is passive, rather than as something actively chosen. It's not that I simply open my eyes and appreciation naturally arises. It is more like a kind of appraisal, where I become curious about certain elements like the book I am reading or something funny I saw, or a simple observation. This selective appreciation can allow me to creatively choose what might be good or valuable about what I am doing or have done, rather than concluding that things are a waste of time if they don't relate to a certain chosen goal or desire. In this way, I adopt a more flexible and curious approach to life which often ends up bringing me closer to enjoying my goals and priorities. And it also shifts away from a metaphor of seeing time as a 'race' to get home, to score a goal, to establish oneself in a certain area, and so on.
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