Time

I've spent an inappropriate amount of time thinking about time recently.

The reflection most likely is a result of the season 1 finale of Loki and my own fondness for the various theories of time, the universe and the nature of loops that are represented in film and books.

In the finale (SPOILERS), we ultimately meet a not-so-mysterious being known as "He Who Remains". The character explains that he alone ended a multiverse war caused by his variants from other timelines by creating a singular, circular timeline that is policed by a bureaucratic organization known as the TVA; remove him, and all-out chaos breaks out. Endless possibilities; some terrifying, some wonderful.

In a lesser-known (but a must-watch) Marvel show, Legion - David (a schizophrenic who is a mutant) attempts to explain a similar multiverse theory using cold French fries to a homeless friend:

The Australian-American science fiction television series, Farscape, John Crichton has an exchange with a being known as Einstein on the nature of time itself:

Each show lots of examples on how time loops, how alternate choices can lead to multiple existences and the concept of "what if?".

But what do most people get wrong about time?

Most tend to think of time as linear, absolute, and constantly “running out” – but is that true? And how can we change our perceptions to feel better about its passing?

Back in March, "What Story Will We Live by Now?" referenced Viktor Frankl's book "Man's Search for Meaning" and started me thinking about how people navigate time. Akin to Nietzche, Frankl ponders that "if you found a big 'why' you could tolerate any 'how'." In essence, a self-designed method of time travel.

Vonnegut explores that time and free-will work under very different rules. "The past, present, and future all exist simultaneously and forever and are simply there, fixed, eternally". The notion of free will is almost "comical".

I’m not sure where I've landed with all of this (circular loops?), but I know that I want to start using time as a focal lens to provide a way in thinking deeper about experiences; a method to know yourself and provide guidance on how to improve relationships and  change reactions in the future. Time can be a form of currency, that needs to be used and fostered wisely.

"The Shortness of Time" ponders:

Time is invisible, so it’s easy to spend. It’s only near the end of our life that most of us will realize the value of time. Make sure you’re not too busy to pay attention to life.

The harsh reality is that who knows how long all of this lasts?

You can only enjoy each and every moment while you can.

If you're interested in my daily ramblings, follow me on Twitter or my posts on this blog.

Forward Thinking

Speaking of "time"; I cannot stop thinking about a Twitter post from Tim Urban a few weeks back.

There are many things that effect those paths: choice, internal obstacles and external factors that you can't control. As C.S. Lewis said in The Screwtape Letters:

It is the most temporal part of time — for the Past is frozen and no longer flows, and the Present is all lit up with eternal rays... Hence nearly all vices are rooted in the Future. Gratitude looks to the Past and love to the Present; fear, avarice, lust and ambition look ahead.

Latest obsession

My nephew claims I am addicted to licorice; he's right. My latest obsession is Wiley Wallaby Australian Style Licorice.

From their website:

Eleven years ago, we got tired of eating licorice that was flavorless & impossible to chew and knew we could do better.

And yes, they did just that. No dairy, no fat, no high fructose corn syrup. All yummy.

This weeks "Deep Links"

Here's a few of the articles and videos that resonated with me over the last week:

• 🎹 Yes! "Being Crushed by Falling Piano Still Funniest Way to Die" is from a CDC annual report on causes of death - More
• 🕰 "5 Signs You Need Some Alone Time" discusses 'Being alone is a healthy skill to be cultivated. Being alone is when some cool stuff happens: Inspiration. Reflection. Insight. Wonder. Clarity. Rest and Restoration.' A worthy read - More
• 😴 "The 7 types of rest everyone needs – and how to get them" explores different types of rest, and rest deficits - More
• 💼 Tom Bihn bags are among my favorites. In "Zipper Updates", read more than you ever wanted to about their zippers - More
• 🖨 Memories of the late '80s are riddled with the computer club I belonged to and The Print Shop. For the uninitiated, Brøderbund Software created an app that allowed anyone with a PC to make large banners, signs, and greeting cards. Amazingly, you now can relive the experience (and even create a PDF) with "The Print Shop Club – Create Apple II Print Shop Printouts On-Line!" - More
• 👾 Check out the video about "The Game Prototype That Had to Be Banned by Its Own Studio". Halfbrick Studios (maker of Fruit Ninja and other popular titles) created a new title in which the 'currency of the game was trust'; it caused so many issues internally with people constantly playing it, they abandoned the project - Watch
• 🍿 Great tricks to adopt into your presentation skillset in "7 Storytelling Tricks to Steal From Late-Night Talk Show Convos" - More
• 🎧 "How Spotify Has Changed Music Libraries Forever" looks at the trouble and churn of long term access of your online music library - More
• 🌎 Pangaea is a "supercontinent" that formed on Earth about 335 million years ago which formed today's continents; In "Map of Pangaea with Modern-Day Borders", check out what that looks like. Or if you want, you can check your address here on ancient Earth - More
• 🌭 In what's the grossest story that I've recently read, "What you’d need to do to burn off the calories consumed by hot dog-eating champ Joey Chestnut", this human consumed 23,000 calories in 10 minutes 🤮 - More

Fin

In a conversation with someone from my 'personal board of directors', I referenced Leonard Snart (aka Captain Cold) on "making plans". Coming from personal experience (especially when it comes to marathons or Ironman :) ), you should always allow the flexibility to adjust (rules 3 and 4).

Snart’s four rules to planning are:

1) Make the plan

2) Execute the plan

3) Expect the plan to go off the rails

4) And... Throw away the plan