time is now

Many people are publishing articles about the rapid development of technology and how it effects our world. Our life’s are speeding up, time is money in our work, you only live once etcetera. But honestly, we know all this, so let’s look at it from a different perspective. Let’s start with my statement to see if you are critical and awake…

We should skip the time addiction, and eliminate it out of our lives. Time is a tool of our (past) production era, and not applicable (anymore) if we want to be happy in the present.

Hans van de Rakt

1. Everything we do every day in our (modern) society is based on the clock, and the duration of our efforts. We set our alarm to wake up, and not awakening by the rising sun-light, the annoying and loud rooster, or the biological rhythm of our body.
   We go to our work by train, which is departing at 7:30 precisely. If you’re 30 seconds late you might have a problem. When you finally arrive at work your boss is waiting for you and would spank you, because you took 5 minutes from his time of production, you get the picture, right?
   So there is no natural behavior or flow anymore, we are driven by a mechanism which is invented for a rational reason in the past century, which has nothing to do with (y)our well-being, but with someone else’s needs, interests or advantages.
2. On a different and perhaps larger scale it is the pace of our societal system. With societal system I point to the political system, the economic system, the cultural system etc.
   Please take also into consideration the high speed of technological developments, which is taking place now. The effect of all technical developments into the different systems is with such great impact and intensity, we sometimes forget to realize the huge effects of it in our systems, in our society and in the end, in our own personal lives.
3. Under influence of these technical developments, some systems are developing more rapidly than others. This means that some systems are old fashioned, and others have adapted to the new reality.
   For example, the political system is still based on a four-year cycle of elections and decision making, while the economic system is changing every day with new innovations and markets. This creates a mismatch between what people expect from their governments and what they can actually deliver. I call this a asynchrone system flow.
4. So what can we do to cope with this situation? How can we escape from the time addiction that is imposed on us by external forces? How can we find happiness in the present moment instead of chasing after future goals?
   I think one possible answer is to slow down and reconnect with ourselves and nature. To appreciate the simple things in life that make us feel alive and joyful. To question the assumptions and norms that shape our behavior and values. To find our own rhythm and flow that suits our needs and desires and not that of others.

I hope this article has given you some food for thought and inspired you to think differently about time and its role in your life. Remember that time is not a fixed entity that controls us, but a tool that we can use creatively and wisely. We should skip the time addiction, and eliminate it out of our lives. Time is a tool of our (past) production era, and not applicable (anymore) if we want to be happy in the present.

time is on our side…