Time is a construct. It is a beautiful construct of the Universe. I believe it is also a concept which few ponder to the depths which are needed to be reached, in order to truly comprehend its awesomeness. So, let’s dive in and try to comprehend a little better.
What is time?
We’ve all heard some pretty sage advice about time, at some point in our lives. ‘Time waits for no man.’ ‘Time is valuable.’ ‘Time is the only thing that you can’t get back, after it’s gone.’ -- All true! But the latter is probably the truest of all. Or is it?
Let’s see. At a micro level, starting in grade school, we’ve all learned certain things about time. Like 60 seconds equals a minute, 60 minutes adds up to an hour, and 24 of those hours means you’ve lived another full day. Congrats! Furthermore, there are 365 days in a year.
At a macro level, the overwhelming majority of us assume certain things about time. For instance (everybody knows) that years aggregate and become decades, and decades morph into centuries, which become the history that we all study intently. It all proceeds forward at a staggering pace and can’t be slowed down, stopped or reversed.
This leads us to assume things about the three principles of time; the past, the present, and the future. Some of these assumptions are actually beliefs that are backed up by seemingly irrefutable evidence, also known as hypotheses. One of these is, that the past is over (I mean over, forever) and can never be altered, or even revisited. Another ‘highly substantiated hypothesis’ is that no one here on earth can ever know what will happen in the future. In other words, the future is a perpetual mystery to us mere mortals. And the biggest assumption by far, is that time only moves in one direction. Forward. These things are assumed, probably because most human beings are ‘simple’ thinkers. To think unconventionally, takes work. A lot of work.
Challenging Assumptions
As a child, I was fascinated with all of the Star Trek TV Series’ and the Star Wars movies. At that level of understanding, it is really easy for a child to believe in the possibility that all of the technological things that happened in these movies and TV shows could really happen. It definitely seemed that way for me. I mean, why not?
As we grow into adulthood, the overwhelming majority of us eventually accept the boundaries that life seems to impose on us, and the limitations that life dictates to us. (technologically, and otherwise) But there are some of us, albeit very few of us, that step outside of that box. And because of those rare individuals, and over 100 years of scientific experimentation and exploration, there are a few things that we know about time. We know that time does not necessarily have to be experienced linearly. (meaning that the past leads to the present, the present leads to the future, etc.) There is no rule or set of rules in the Universe that dictate that this is the way time has to be experienced. We also know that time and velocity (movement through space) are inexorably linked. And in fact, are inversely proportional. (meaning that the faster an object or person moves through actual physical space, the slower time moves for that object or person.) I know. It’s weird! But this is why a clock moving at a fast pace on a jet ticks slightly slower than a clock that is stationary on the ground.
It’s Deeper Than Mere Physics
I could go a little farther into physics concepts like ‘Einstein’s Theory of Special Relativity’ and some of its paradoxes, such as the ‘Twin Paradox’ or the ‘Time Dilation Paradox.’ But that is not the main focus of this post. Instead, the purpose of this post is to spark the readers’ minds and to cultivate some imaginative thinking. As creations of the Universe, humans have limitless mental and spiritual capabilities. And to a great extent, even in old age we also have nearly limitless physical capabilities. The only ‘real’ limitations are the ones that we place on ourselves.
No, time does not wait for anyone. So, get revenge. Don’t you wait on time. If there is anything that you have been wanting to do for a long time, do it today! Even if you don’t have everything you think you need or you are not supremely confident that you will succeed, try it anyway. You might be surprised at the results. Never say that the time is not right.
And yes, time is valuable. So, cherish it. Make the most of it. Remember that you are moving through time, in much the same way that you would move through an airport. You land at one terminal, leave that terminal and pass several others, in route to still another terminal. From there, you head to another destination. So, even if you’re having the worst day of your life, it too will pass. And never forget that there is an all-important ‘destination’ that you are attempting to get to.
And lastly, it is true that you can’t get time back after it has passed. (At least as far as we know, at this point.) But look at it this way... Maybe one day you will be able to reclaim time. Nothing is impossible.
Humans make new scientific advances every day. I’m sure that back in the 1960’s, people watching those episodes of the original ‘Star Trek’ on TV were amazed at seeing people hundreds of miles apart communicating audibly via handheld devices. Those people probably thought it would surely be hundreds of years before that would happen. But now, just fifty short years later, that is a reality. And we have gone beyond that. You can not only hear the person that you are communicating with from thousands of miles away, but you can actually see them as well. Talk about exceeding expectations. And while people over 60 or 70 years old probably can hardly even wrap their minds around this, nobody born after 1990 or 1995 even thinks that this is special at all.
The bottom line is that as humans, we do have control of time; our own personal time and time in general. Think about it. Humans change their reality in major ways all the time, so why not be a part of that change? That is where the real power to control time lies.
My goal as a child of the universe, is to inspire and spread love. If you like this post, please come back and view more of my content. Love and Peace to you. Thank you.