As time goes by…

Time is precious. It is a commodity of sorts for which there is no dollar value - except in corporate America, where actuaries place a definitive numerical amount on productivity, potential profit or loss, and even life expectancies.

What activities in our everyday lives carry those numerical figures - cleaning house; answering endless e-mails; shuffling paperwork; walking the dog, working?

All of these things that fill our minutes and hours might be considered distractions, but they are a part of life whether we like it or not. They are the things that keep us focused and sometimes feeling productive, but more often than not, some of these activities cost more than we could possibly imagine because of the way we are kept tethered to them, possibly preventing us from accomplishing creative goals, which give fulfillment to the human spirit.

Such has been my plight. I say this not as an excuse but just a reality for not weighing in on this blog as often as I would like.

I’ve had the topic of “time” on my mind for several days now, when I ran across a remarkable video, which brought everything clearly into focus and shook my brain loose.

What if you could compress time? Keep it in a bottle like the late Jim Croce did with his Billboard chart-topping song?

Carl Sandburg once said, “Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you.”

The following video puts time, not in a bottle, but in the frame of a camera lens, provided by Eirik Solheim, a Project manager for the development department at the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation.

Through his photographic art, Solheim shows us just how precious Sandburg’s coin is in terms of how quickly time passes in the natural world.

On Solheim’s web page, he explains in detail the method he used to compress one full year into 120 seconds. I found it to be a curious and compelling process that made me take action on Sandburg’s thoughts. How about you?

One year in 120 seconds from Eirik Solheim on Vimeo.

Eleven Wishes for the New Year

Today I wish you good health. Time has taught me that if you have this… everything else will follow.

I also wish you love. Open your heart to the possibilities. To need and be needed is at the very core of our frail and human existence.

And, may you know spiritual wealth whatever your belief, and may you draw strength and comfort from a presence that is greater, yet part of us all.

Another wish to you is for material abundance so that you may always have nourishing food at your table; a home to protect and surround you filled with treasures that delight your heart, and may you always be able to share these blessings with others.

I also wish for you knowledge and inspiration every day of the year that propels you to seek out and learn something new as you write the passages of your life. And, like a good book may your novel be hard to put down and the end long in coming.

I wish you laughter, as it is easier to smile than it is to frown. Always cherish the joyful child that resides in you.

A wish for beauty - may you find it from the breath of a rose; the sparkle of sunlight on water; the song of a bird or the pink cheek of a child – it is truly in the beholder.

A wish for “forgiveness” so that you never go to bed at night angry at someone… for something. Forgive and move on.

Today I also wish you “time” – whether you beg it, borrow it, or steal it – remember to use it, not abuse it. May you have all that your heart desires to accomplish your fondest dreams. Fill the seconds between the minutes, and the minutes between the hours with your life well lived.

A wish for “grace”: May a measure of compassion, charity and charm be yours for the asking and this be the footprint you leave for others to follow.

And last but not least WISHES FOR WORLD PEACE: None of us have known this… may it truly become a reality in our lifetime.

Imagine… the possibilities.