Episode 1113: The Paradox of Time

[00:00:00] Scott Maderer: Thanks for joining me on episode 1,113 of the inspired stewardship podcast.

[00:00:07] Dr. Gary Johnson: Hey friends. My name is Dr. Gary Johnson and I serve as the executive director of effect of elders. I challenge you to invest in yourself. In others and develop your influence while impacting the world by using your time, your talent, your treasures, to live out your calling, having the ability to grow yourself through self leadership is key.

[00:00:34] And one way to be inspired to do that is to listen to this, the inspired stewardship podcast with my friend, Scott Maderer.

[00:00:43] Scott Maderer: it allows us to take a day off and not feel guilty about it. It allows us to make sure that we're doing the things that are really the most important to us and not worry about it. It allows us to be present at work when we're at. And present with our family [00:01:00] with when we're with our family and rest without guilt.

[00:01:04] Welcome and thank you for joining us on the inspired stewardship podcast. If you truly desire to become the person who God wants you to be, then you must learn to use your time, your talent and your treasures for your true calling in the inspired stewardship podcast. We'll learn to invest in yourself, invest in others and develop your influence so that.

[00:01:28] Can impact the work

[00:01:30] in today's episode about impacting the world by stewarding your time. I talk with you about why thinking you have all the time in the world is an issue I share why days are long, but years are short. And I also talk about how recognizing this reality drives. As we talk about stewarding your time.

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[00:02:09] If you enjoy the show, when you are ready to buy from Amazon, just use inspired stewardship.com/. Time is one of those things that is often paradoxical in the way we look at it. It, I talked before about how time is a finite resource, but our mindset around it is often one where we look at it as something that is.

[00:02:36] We have this conflict or this paradox between our thinking about both being present and responsive in living in the moment, and yet also planning and preparing and taking the time to make sure that the things that you really want to happen. Oftentimes when we have [00:03:00] a view of time, we hold more than one view in our head.

[00:03:05] At the same time and it can cause conflicts and problems. I can remember whenever I was younger and people would say to me, you have so much time ahead of you. And it was both terrifying in one sense, and also liberating because I didn't have to rush through things. I had plenty of time, but then I've also seen.

[00:03:28] A quote that I believe is by Jack Kornfield that says the trouble is you think you have. When in fact that can be a problem because oftentimes it's when I seem to have the most time that I end up wasting time and doing less and being less effective and less efficient instead often when I'm under pressure, it seems like that's the times I get more than.

[00:03:56] In fact, we think about it, that the truth is we all think [00:04:00] about having deadlines is oh, I just do things at the last minute. That's why I love deadlines. They help me get things done. And. We also are stressed out and frustrated and feeling like we're way, overworked and way too busy and have way too many things to do.

[00:04:18] And they all have to happen. Now I have to get that new job. I have to start my own business. I have to pay off all of that debt. I have to get married or find a new relationship I have to all of these things that have to happen and they all seem to have to happen at the same moment in time.

[00:04:36] And in one way, that's a good thing because it shows that you're seizing the day you're taking a hold of opportunities. You're planning, you're giving life a kick in the pants, but it also can be really unhealthy and lead to this type of a mentality where you're so driven to get everything done that you end up having a heart attack or missing out on things that are really important.

[00:04:59] [00:05:00] There's also a different quote or a different saying around time that says, trust the timing of your life. Meaning don't try to force things to happen, allow things to happen to you and be responsive to those things. Be reflective and responsive and calm down. And if you're one of those people that always loves to rush doing this can be hard, but it can also be free.

[00:05:25] If you feel like you have unlimited time, then you can avoid taking action. And that can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on where you are and what you're trying to do. And what's funny is sometimes we think both we have all the time in the world and we don't have enough time at exactly the same time and our.

[00:05:48] And it leads to these issues. The idea that our days are long, but our years are short to me is so important. I think this is the core paradox that [00:06:00] causes us to do this. The years are short recognizing that our life is finite. At some point, all of us will in. Our life will end. It's a fact, it's a truism and you don't know when that day will be.

[00:06:18] And therefore you have to be present in each of your days. That's an invitation to recognize that recognizing that the years that you have are really short in the scheme of things is important. And yet at the same time, recognizing that the days, if you pack them full and put everything in. Becomes so full that they are long, that you don't really have enough time in the day to get everything done that you really want to get done.

[00:06:51] But what's funny is you often have more than enough time in a year. But you can only do that by both being intentional [00:07:00] about how you spend your days and also being spontaneous and being open to new experiences by enjoying and savoring and being present in the times that are coming, but also looking and trusting that what needs to happen will happen by enjoying everything that each and every day has to offer.

[00:07:23] You have to recognize that you need a sense of urgency, but not a sense of haste. You have to have this idea that you will live with the idea that you know, that your days are numbered and that they will come to an end. And that therefore, if you want to make a mark on the world, if you want to do something that you're called to do, you only have a limited amount of time to do that.

[00:07:47] And yet at the same time, you can do that by planning and by thinking, and by being responsible, not out of a hasty, just jump and see what happens, mindset. [00:08:00] This sort of mindset allows us to drive action, but it also allows us to drive action that is very deliberate, very intentional and very directional.

[00:08:12] It allows us to take a day off and not feel guilty about. It allows us to make sure that we're doing the things that are really the most important to us and not worry about it. It allows us to be present at work when we're at work and present with our family, with w when we're with our family and rest without guilt, because we recognize that the paradox of time is we both have all of the time in the world and nowhere near enough time at exactly the same time.

[00:08:44] Thanks for listening.

[00:08:46] Thanks so much for listening to the inspired stewardship podcast as a subscriber and listener, we challenge you to not just sit back and passively listen, but act on what you've heard and [00:09:00] find a way to live your call. If you liked this episode on the stewardship of time, be sure to sign up for our stewardship of time tips series by going to inspired stewardship.com/time or texting 4 4, 2, 2, 2 time tips, and that'll get you our best tips on stewarding your time until next time investor.

[00:09:32] Your talent and your treasures develop your influence and impact the world.