One of the first things explored in Reiki Level 1 is the idea that time is a psychic construct. That is, it’s not a real thing — it’s simply a pattern or a habit that humanity agrees to accept. And sure, it makes things easier — like when we’re planning when to meet up with people — but it can also hold us back.
How so? Well, for starters it’s rooted in scarcity. “There are only so many hours in the day,” we often say. “I’m running out of time!” we have all exclaimed at one point or another. The thing is, if it is true that time is a construct, then aren’t these statements actually… untrue?
And we know that a construct is anything that is only meaningful because the human mind applies meaning to it. So if we all agree about time, then we all make it real; even if it isn’t. I know — a little twisted, right? But I digress.
I got to thinking about this today as it relates to New Year’s Eve. It’s a huge deal for so many people: food, drink, laughter, music… all the elements of a great party. Others mark the new year by making resolutions, setting intentions or proclaiming goals. And yet still others use the time to look back over the past weeks and months to review what stands out for them. What hurdles have been passed? What accomplishments were made? These questions answer the subconscious request to explore: “Was I relevant or significant?”
So often this reflection can leave us feeling defeated. Too often, we look back and see the bad stuff, the things that didn’t go right, or — if you’re like me — you look back and cannot for the life of you really remember what happened at all!
As my path to becoming an energy medicine and minister has continued, I’ve really sunk into the wisdom that time really doesn’t exist. The past is a story we agree to, and the future is another story waiting to be told. The only thing we have is right now: our awareness, our health, our existence. This is what I am present in.
New Year’s Day is no longer a big deal for me. It’s an arbitrary date that a lot of the world agrees is significant. If, like me, New Year’s has lost the appeal it once held, perhaps it’s because you are awakening to the present and you are ready to embrace the idea that time really is a construct. There’s no need to feel melancholy as you face this transition, or to feel silly if you don’t. Simply love you for who you are right now. Because who you are is a holy and divine expression of Life’s longing for itself.
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