Stretching Time

A few mornings ago, I woke up late and immediately was in time-scarcity mode.

A few mornings ago, I woke up late and immediately was in time-scarcity mode. I began speeding around, trying to get all the tasks done that would allow me to be relaxed when I started work. And on top of that, the ants were invading again, this time streaming into my laundry room, washing machine, back bathroom, and kitchen. (I think we must live on a giant ant hill, by the way).

I have had an uneasy deal with the ants for years. They can have the outside and the INSIDE of the walls, but not inside of the actual house. Ants eat termite eggs and larvae, so I have always encouraged them to stay around. This was insane though! So for half an hour I sprayed orange oil (no poisons due to dogs and wildlife) and plugged up holes with Vaseline jelly to prevent them from having such easy access.

Once that was done, I noticed that the focus on that project had allowed me to relax a bit regarding all the other things. So, I decided I would do the essentials and not worry about the rest. I began to enjoy each task rather than resent it, and I quit looking at the clock so much.

The next thing I knew, everything was done and there was still time to walk the dogs! So off we went, in the cool of the morning, enjoying our walk together, the breeze ruffling all of our hair, and, for the dogs, the great smells they were following. When I got home, I still had enough time for a quick shower and breakfast! And I have no idea how that happened.

Many times, in my life, I’ve experience a phenomenon I call time stretching.

Many times, in my life, I’ve experience a phenomenon I call time stretching. When I leave late to go somewhere and make it on time anyway. When I forgot to do something the night before and suddenly have time the next morning to accomplish it before work. What is this flexible time thing about????? I’ve studied time for years, fascinated by all the perspectives on time that can be found. The Jewish faith lost many of their temples as they were persecuted so have teachings about Temples in Time rather than buildings. Many authors point to different kinds of time. Time is slower when you are trying to find a new location, much faster when you retrace your steps home. But what I know for sure is, anything we think we don’t have enough of will give us exactly the feeling of not having enough of it.

The thought of scarcity seems to not only produce anxiety, it also makes us less wise and less creative, by a lot. Some researchers in the Boston area did experiments proving this to be true. They set up tables in shopping malls asking for volunteers to answer a few questions and take a few tests. The first thing the volunteers were asked to do was take a short standard IQ test. They were then told something the researchers told them was not true. They were told that while they were in the mall, their car was backed into and a fair amount of damage was done. The volunteer’s IQ was then retested after that
statement. The results were startling, over and over again. People who originally tested high IQ upon retest were now only average, and if originally average, they were now low IQ, just from hearing a statement that they were told WAS NOT TRUE. Scarcity about money had actually blocked their normal intelligence.

So, the next time you are feeling scarce about anything (think time, money, relationship, clients, etc,) breathe through that tense feeling and let life guide you to abundance. And notice that maybe EVERYTHING can stretch when we notice we are feeling scarce. Worth exploring, right?