Time and Chance

Do you ever think about time and chance? I do. I spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about time because everyone needs a hobby. 

Time fascinates me on nearly every level. I love astrology - no seriously -  which is essentially the study of time on the micro and macro level with bonus points because it crosses over into the categories of chance and fate. 

Fate

Let’s start with fate. 

I believe we all have a path laid out before us and that the potential contained within a natal astrology chart is real. However, it’s just potential and it does require effort on our part to achieve the greatest expression of that potential. 

Let’s say you’re more likely to have a peak in your career at a certain point in your life. The upper level of potential can only be reached if you’ve put in the work ahead of time. If you’ve been writing a book for the past ten years in your spare time, maybe that looks like a publication deal and a best seller. If you’ve been sort of coasting along as a passenger in your life it might turn out to be a good job review and a better office. Both are a peak but one may be more preferable to you than the other.

If astrology is not your thing, it’s also possible to see this concept in both religion and quantum physics. Which, not coincidentally, are two of my other favorite ways to think about time and will almost certainly be featured repeatedly in upcoming episodes. 

I can even give you a real-life example of fate. My grandmother, who I loved more than anyone else in this world, when I was growing up was a truly horrific singer. Cats mating sounded better - which seems like a mean thing to say - but she’d have laughed. The thing was, she LOVED to sing. She always said the bible said to make a joyful noise, not a pretty one, and she was joyful. But there was no way she was ever going to sign a record deal, sing in an opera house, or be in a musical on Broadway for her vocal talent. That wasn’t her fate. 

Chance

So if I believe so deeply in the efficacy of astrology, in the theoretical and philosophical principles upon which it’s founded - that our fate is written in the stars - why would I need to schedule anything? Why not just sit back and enjoy the ride?

According to Seneca (a super cool Stoic philosopher), “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” I think of chance and luck as being the same. 

Your fate may set you up to have opportunities appear before you but if you’re not prepared to receive them and take advantage of them, you will miss your chance. 

Time 

I love knowing that I’m doing everything within my power (my free will, if you’re into that sort of thing) to prepare myself for any opportunities heading my way.

That’s why I also love creating schedules for large projects and dividing time up into blocks on calendars - all so that I know what is supposed to be happening at any given time during my day, week, month, year, and life. 

The comfort I feel when I know what to expect (to the degree that ANY of us can know what to expect) is immense. 

If it’s important to me, it’s on my calendar. Yup. Birthdays, relationship goals, all the things are in my calendar.

If my little love affair with time just made you break out into hives, I totally get it. 

I have a LOT of friends who act like mustangs being fenced in and bridled for the first time if I try to get them to put anything on a calendar.

You might be a lot like them.

You might think I”m trying to take away your fun, freedom, spontaneity, and unique go-with-the-flow way of approaching life. 

But that’s just silly because I want for you everything you want for yourself.

I want you to have all the freedom and spontaneity you desire while also achieving all of your wildest, most ridiculous, most I-can’t-believe-I’m-allowed-to-want-that dreams.

And the way you get all of that is by paying attention to time and your thoughts about time in a very methodical way. 

One Moment

Don’t worry, I’m not going to ask you to sit down and calendar your entire life right now. 

Or am I? 

No, I’ll resist the urge for now. 

I just want you to think about a single moment. The moment you're in right now with me.

It’s the only one you have. All of the others are thoughts about what happened in the past or thoughts about what may happen in the future. 

Reality is found in this one moment and it takes a conscious effort to stay within that one moment rather than escaping into the comfort of familiar terror of the past or the utopian/dystopian fantasies of the future.

Why do we do this if the only moment we have is the one we’re in? Because the moment we are in is terrifying. 

That’s why we often want to escape it at any cost - the cost of not achieving our dreams because we didn’t follow our plan, not having the intimate relationships we want because we didn’t put it in our calendar or stay present in the moment when we did, the cost of not becoming who we want to be because we didn’t schedule enough moments to work on ourselves. 

How is that freedom? It’s a cage you can’t even see and it’s keeping you locked in the limitations of your current reality instead of giving you the freedom to be fully present in any moment doing exactly what you want. 

All you have is this moment to make your dreams come true.

Sit in this moment and try to be curious about the possibility that everything you ever wanted is on the other side of scheduling the time to prepare for them.

Music Time

Of course, I have a song for you. This week’s episode is inspired by The One Moment by OK Go. I’m also going to highly recommend heading over to YouTube or the show notes page to watch the video because it is SO good.

There’s nothing more lovely

There’s nothing more profound

Than the certainty

Than the certainty that all of this will end

That all of this will end

Open your arms to me

This will be the one moment that matters and

This will be the one thing we remember and

This will be the reason to rebel (yeah) and

This will be the one moment that matters at all

So tell me... 

If you look at how you spend your time, does it accurately reflect the things you say are the most important to you? Do you even know how you’re spending your time? Does the thought of having a schedule freak you all the way out or does it feel like coming home to freshly baked cookies?

Spend time with these questions and see what comes up. If you’re feeling frisky, hit me up on Instagram and share your answers with me.

Until next time, my wish for you is to know you have all the time there is for the things you truly want.

Podcast Theme Music

License:  Rustic Ballad by Alexander Nakarada