16 Comments
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Jeanette Martin's avatar

Yes let's take the time to move on, shapeshift, and live the life we choose.

Jeanette Martin's avatar

Take that wonky blanky with you to the hospital and watch all the kids playing in the park even if their Mums aren't. Hope the day goes well Therese.

It's time it does, right?

Sheridan Cass's avatar

As someone who constantly feels like I’m wasting time and also don’t have enough of it in a day, these were great lessons to read 🙌👍

Jeanette Martin's avatar

So happy they helped Sheridan! Time's a slippery one isn't it.

Sheridan Cass's avatar

It sure is!

Scott Perry's avatar

Powerful, @Jeanette Martin. Time is a story. Choose your story. Choose your future.

Linda Gumper's avatar

This is a great article! The other thing about time is that when you have a lot of it to do with what you want, you don't get much done.

I have huge amounts of time on my hands right now, and my productivity falls through the floor. I plan to get things done but distractions are powerful. You think you have more time than you do.

Jeanette Martin's avatar

Exactly my experience Linda. At the moment I have very little time but am getting a lot done without too much stress. Strange how it works.

Beca Lewis's avatar

Love this Jeanette!

t-raise us up with Thérèse's avatar

I love the personification of time.

Nah, we can't beat it.

We all get the same amount.

I'm about to head into hospital tomorrow

I'm sure I'll be bored waiting for results

or endlessly repeating my symptoms

while they figure out why I can't walk

or lift my arms up, or bend over.

The time game plays nasty tricks.

But people are so not-present

Mums take their kids to parks

They swing themselves hard

while Mum scrolls on phone

if the child calls out to them

they barely look up

as if they're irrelevant

the kid has a wide smile

the kid they created

is having unadulterated joy

and Mum doesn't see it.

Or, bad TV, or reruns,

they are such a thief of time.

You know what happens

but sit there as a vegetable

when it's not even entertaining

It doesn't even stimulate your mind.

Substack might have to save me

from hospital boredom Monday

maybe Tuesday too

I have no idea

but at least I can read

and interact with Substsackers

I can do that, like crazy.

Sabrina Ahmed's avatar

Ah Jeanette, this post spoke to me. I love 4000 weeks and am shifting my life to live more by these principles and incorporate them into my coaching philosophy. We can't do everything. So why even fight it? Slow productivity on the things that matter - to me, that's a good life, well lived.

Health issues and relationship losses brought this home to me too. It sometimes takes time to unpick a current life and move onto another shape, but it's doable. Thanks for the overview!

t-raise us up with Thérèse's avatar

Unpicking the current life, like a crochet blanket with a dropped thread is an amazing analogy, Sabrina.

Changing the shape of the multi-colored blanket, with all those different balls of wool rolling around at your feet sounds tricky too.

If you reckon that it's doable, I might give it a go too.

Though, I think my Time blanky may be a little out of shape at the end.

I suppose that doesn't matter if it keeps me warm and cozy though.

Let's be shapeshifters?

Sabrina Ahmed's avatar

Ooooh I love this visual representation! Yes Therese, I'm in it with you! Let's unpick our wonky blankies and reshape them into something new that serves who we are becoming. Our brains are wildly adaptable if we feed them with new possibilities and take action.

Here's to the shapeshifters!

t-raise us up with Thérèse's avatar

Bring on the Wonky Donkey Blankies with all our colors, our threads, our forms shifting to accommodate all of us in time.

And to pacify and warm us when we need that too.

Sabrina Ahmed's avatar

Your turn of phrase is impeccable! Love it!

t-raise us up with Thérèse's avatar

Your judgement of any given emotional situation is impeccable too. You have a high degree of accuracy.