“Make some space for grace” – I only put those words together because they rhymed and kinda seemed poetic. But the real issue is space, and its friend time – feeling like we have a lack of it is the final frontier in our lives.
In the spirit of creating a life you don’t constantly want to escape from… is it actually possible to conjure more space and time, even when your to-do list is running out the wazoo?
Why yes, yes it is.
What Is This “Space”?
Space isn't a calendar gap; it's that sense of not being pressured, not being bombarded, not being besieged by a relentless list to-do. It’s about your fuse: stimuli and triggers are over there, and your response is way over here, on a sun lounger. You have the space to scratch your head, put down your pina colada, and then jump. Lovely feeling, a long spacious fuse.
And here, feels count more than you think.
Here space is like time. I don’t know the actual science, so you physicists may disagree, but due to my spiritual bent, I’m going to abuse words like “quantum” merrily. So hold onto your hats.
Quantum Time Weirdness
Have you noticed: the more hurried and hasty you are, the less time you seem to have? Listen, it's a quantum thing. Perceived time and clock time are connected in some weird way.
As Gandhi said about dealing with inter-faith fires that threatened to become wars (and you thought you had pressure): “I meditate twice as long because it gives me more time.”
Busy? Meditation means you have more capacity – the feels of time and space mean a different clarity of ideas and energy come for the right things to be born. A small amount of pressure is a fine thing, a fun thing. The amount that many of us carry? It squashes time and space into almost nothing.
Space and time really are less like a thing, and more like an attitude; an expectation that shapes the thing. (Wow, I’m brilliant. This really is quantum.)
Here’s how to cultivate it, apart from learning to Ascend and practicing regularly (next course 21-23 Nov, 7pm start, come along!):
1. Seek and Find Beauty
Appreciate and create what is beautiful: a different quality will be injected into the time and space inside your head and heart.
Especially as the winter comes, it’s easy to shuttle from your home box to your work box via a mobile box, and yet never actually be in the presence of what you find beautiful.
The fix? You gotta get out of your box. Maybe that’s nature, art, inspiring architecture, a beautifully made coffee. Maybe it’s admiring a perfect spreadsheet or piece of code, if you want to get really freaky.
Maybe it's just taking a moment to look out the window – really look out.
Whatever, find beauty in whatever form available in your moment. Think of beauty as calming, creative quantum fertiliser; nourishing and nurturing. It imbues; it makes sense of your moments; it gives way more than it takes.
2. Make Space for Peoples
Going about your day with one eye on how you can help someone else elevates that day for you.
How does giving to someone else give to you? Exactly – quantum. Maybe what’s truly important to us isn't lost by being given away; it is only magnified. You want more of the good stuff for yourself? Give it away as much as you can.
3. Less Haste, More Speed
As psychologist/parent educator Steve Biddulph said: “Hurry is the enemy of love”. To give space to the beautiful and others, you naturally slow down and lift your chin.
The difference between haste and keeping a useful clip? Thinking. Haste is thinking about a future thing as you’re doing the present moment thing. Quality, on the other hand, comes from keeping your head in the same place as your body: just doing the thing you’re doing.
Try it! Stay where your feet are. Do this, and then that. But never that before this. Got it?
4. Now Is a Space
Do this with me:
Notice your body, your breath, these words, the sense of reading through your eyes.
Take a moment, give yourself this moment. There's no hurry, right?
Notice now is happening…
If you know the Ascension Attitudes, drop one in and let it dissolve into your minds’ eye.
Notice that now has a quality of expanse. It’s not a tick of a clock, but a space. It’s always now; we can always come back to this space. That's the skill you get better at: that’s the reason I think Ascension and meditation is the foundation skill to all life.
You learn to do stuff with a sense of a spacious head and heart. You learn to flow and not fight. You learn to base life in appreciation and beauty and connection and centredness, and many more good things.
Have a go at one or all of these – and let me know what you find. I’d like to hear.
Go well!
Arjuna
PS.
For more time and space in your life, come and learn Ascension. It’s the bees knees.
21–23 November (starting 7 pm Friday). It's always free to repeat for those who've learned already. Get in touch for details.
I also have a few slots available for one-on-one mentoring/coaching. If you'd like to chat about what you’re looking for and how this would help you, just get in touch.
Talk soon!