I have a program on my laptop. It has only one function. It reminds of passing time. The program on my laptop is set to sound a Tibetan gong every 30 minutes. When I hear this soothing sound, I stand. If I'm extremely busy, I remain at my desk a stretch. If I'm between task, I walk a lap around the hallways. But strangely, the gong helps keep me focused on the important tasks.
Most of us think nothing about the passing of time. I know people who watch TV for hours and only stand up when they need to go pee.
The sound of this gong makes me aware that time is passing. Two gongs and an hour has passed.
I read a feature on two Irish businessmen who started Square. Square is a small credit card reader that clips into the earphone jack of a smartphone. The software behind the little reader makes it possible for small businesses across the world to accept credit cards for their wares. When I started accepting credit cards at my book signings, my sales tripled.
These amazing brothers are two of the youngest billionaires today.
One of the brothers has a clock on his wall. It's not a regular clock, but one that shows how much life he has left. He did research on his expected lifespan and programmed his clock to count down. At any given moment he can tell theoretically how much time he has left. Obviously, this does not take into account, disease, accidents, or disasters. But it for this young man, it serves to remind him that there are only a finite number of days, hours, and minutes left.
This kudzu flower has nothing to do with passing time, but I shot it two years ago today. That in itself was a wakeup call because I didn't realize it had been that long.
Most of us think nothing about the passing of time. I know people who watch TV for hours and only stand up when they need to go pee.
The sound of this gong makes me aware that time is passing. Two gongs and an hour has passed.
I read a feature on two Irish businessmen who started Square. Square is a small credit card reader that clips into the earphone jack of a smartphone. The software behind the little reader makes it possible for small businesses across the world to accept credit cards for their wares. When I started accepting credit cards at my book signings, my sales tripled.
These amazing brothers are two of the youngest billionaires today.
One of the brothers has a clock on his wall. It's not a regular clock, but one that shows how much life he has left. He did research on his expected lifespan and programmed his clock to count down. At any given moment he can tell theoretically how much time he has left. Obviously, this does not take into account, disease, accidents, or disasters. But it for this young man, it serves to remind him that there are only a finite number of days, hours, and minutes left.
This kudzu flower has nothing to do with passing time, but I shot it two years ago today. That in itself was a wakeup call because I didn't realize it had been that long.
I sometimes think of life as a long airplane trip, and I think I just heard my landing gear drop.
ReplyDeleteProbably because I am older than the young entrepeneur I am well aware that my remaining time is finite. It is an interesting approach for a young man though.
ReplyDeleteI wear a fit bit and it will alert me with a silent vibrate every hour. I mostly ignore it. Haha. I know I let a lot time pass by and need to make better activity.
ReplyDeleteLisa
Great idea to stand up and stretch too when sitting for long periods of time. I worked for years behind a desk and it's not the healthiest thing we can do. I think I gained about 20 pounds in that time. Time is never still and keeps moving, even though there are times we wish it would slow it down.
ReplyDeleteI love that special clock and I think it prevents this man from taking life for granted.
ReplyDeleteTime is so relevant. When we wait for something or someone, it feels like time goes so slowly or time seems to stand still. When we enjoy something, we find the time goes too fast.
Hugs, Julia
Our son showed me an app that would predict how long I'd live. I only have twenty-six years left.
ReplyDeleteMy grandmother clock and its chimes serve a similar purpose to your gong.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
I love your posts and have not been here but how much this post rings true (Like that?) for me. We have a small staff at work but the last 3 weeks, have been difficult to say the least. There are 4 of us besides my boss. When I came back from vacation, another was on vacation and the 2nd counsellor was leaving the Wed on vacation as well and won't be back until this Tuesday. The other lady, whom I think of as a friend and is a year younger than me, suffered a heart attack and is still off. She has been told she will suffer another one in the future. I was alone at work, dealing with clients, payments, calls etc... Last week I saw 6 people a day which left no time to catch up on work, phone calls or e-mails and had to stay late to just write things up. On top of this, my mom, who is 89 and has dementia and COPD came down with pneumonia. My brother and I have been with her at the hospital. I have to work as I am the only one here aside from the receptionist and then I go an eat and take off to the hospital and don't get back until 10. She has had states of delirium with panic attacks and anxiety. The good news is she is going back to her long term care facility today and is out of the woods. I, on the other hand, am exhausted and my tummy is doing backflips so i might take today off and just go home and crash. Sorry for the long windedness here but I have been thinking of mortality especially my beautiful mom. A huge life-force that is such a tiny thing in a bed in a hospital. We must have awareness of our life and make the most of it. I love the gong because you used this in a positive way. I don't like the countdown of my life...I would never use that:)
ReplyDeleteAh yes, the illusive time. We try to analyze it. You have done a good job here, I enjoyed the read. The second blog on time today, it must be time to think and consider it once again. Good stuff here.
ReplyDeleteMeasuring time is an interesting concept. Most of the time I don't even know what day of the week it is.
ReplyDeleteTime passes so fast for so many of us except at the times when we are excited and wanting an event to happen like a child waiting for Christmas
ReplyDeleteI'm surrounded by reminders of time passing. The first surgery of the day has to have the patient in the room on time or there is a ding on the meter and somebody is in trouble. The tourniquet goes off after every hour because after 2 hrs you have to let it down. The patient is charged by the minutes they are in the OR. If I work past 3 I get overtime..and also very tired! My Mom used to say that nobody in her family lived past 80 so at 70 she started her ten year plan. Well, she's 91 so that plan was throw out a few years ago! Hope time is good to you tomorrow! Take care!
ReplyDeleteThis resonates! So much so, after lunch I Googled both Tibetan gong apps and Life Clocks. Didn't find a wall clock, but something called Tikker makes a reasonably-priced watch. Whatever it takes! I'm enamored ...
ReplyDeleteI don't need any reminders these days about time passing!
ReplyDeleteAlphie