soul time

Lately, I've been reading about time. My main sources are Ram Dass and Oliver Burkeman. I have a philosophical/spiritual crush on both of them. They are peeps who speak the Truth (oh yeah I Upper Cased that mo fo) about what it is to be a human being. Mostly that it's a mystery, but also, that there are some things that we can actually know. The main thing that we all know, no matter what creed, race or religion is that we will die. Even if you don't want to know it, you know it. Eternal after-life or not, this incarnation will end.

You as you know it, will be Dead. Kaput. Finito. Zero. Gonzo.

This is, in fact, the foundation of all of my musings on this tiny blog. It is, as you can quite clearly see, called mindfully mortal, but I had yet to really explore the subject of death overtly though it is the subtext to all my posts even if you can't tell. But now I don't have to! Burkeman and Ram Dass (and so many others) have done it all for me.

Crib notes:

You will die. Your life is SO short.

Stop trying to do all of the things because you can't.

Stop being busy running away from the excruciating fact that you can't do all things and will die.

Face this truth and the acute discomfort it presents and live a better life.

It will still be full of pain and misery but also full of joy and light.

Especially if you face the reality of your imminent death.

Because it is imminent isn't it? We have NO IDEA when it will happen. Or how - which is completely terrifying. 'Ugh' emoji. Sorry to burst any convenient bubbles and pull heads out of the sand, but accepting this fact is the secret to living life more in the moment rather than rushing towards a future where your To-Do list is finally complete. The truth is that your To-Do list will never be finished. Recognizing this and stopping the relentless Race to the Crossed-off Items Finish Line (there is no finish line!) can be a first step into Soul time.

A nugget from Ram Dass:

"The more deeply we practice the path of wisdom, and explore the Soul level of our beings, the more we become aware of how little attention our culture pays to sacredness as an aspect of everyday life."

Okay, okay. 'path of wisdom'?, 'Soul level'?, 'sacredness of everyday life,? It may sound a bit floaty to some of you, but, deep down, you know it's true. There's more to life than running (up that hill?) on the hedonistic treadmill. When we are in our moments rather than enumerating them, chasing them or rushing through them, we are closer to Soul time. There is so much beauty and depth and mystery in one tiny minute of human life but we never feel it because we are a blur, cartooning our way through our years.

In one of the many scintillating and titillating episodes of Succession, Tom, upon impending doom of incarceration for a folly that was foist upon him, says, "I have decided, of late, not to tarry too much with hope." My version is, "I have decided, of late, not to tarry too much with time." Stop worrying about not having enough time to do all the things you want and accept the reality that you are right - you do not have enough time to do all the things you want!

Free yourself from the tyranny of time.

Choose what you want to do rather than what you think you should do and know that in doing so, you are missing out on other things. Oh well. That is the way of things. The Tao of Time. My thoughts have yet to crystallize about all of this. I need more time (more time!) to digest and compost these musings. Burkeman and Ram Dass are much more eloquent with their words and support their opinions with research and life experience. I have only my musings, initial thoughts and incomplete arguments to buoy my position that life is worth living because of accepting dying. I suppose only time will tell.