In 1886, when a forefather had this elegant timepiece, I’m sure it was a matter of pride to be able to pull it from a watch pocket, then delicately tap the post that revealed the time. The proverbial “gold watch” was given to signify retirement after a life devoted to a company (generally 40-60 years). That’s a great deal of “Time.”
Unfortunately, I wish I knew the backstory about this timepiece. I discovered this beautiful piece and many unique items in their bedroom chest drawers after they both had passed. I wish we had devoted a single conversation to family heirlooms as they were both mentally sharp to close to the end of their lives.
A good lesson with both small and big items in life. Be intentional about how you spend your time! We tend to think it’s infinite, but we know better.
A gold watch is not a fair trade for a lifetime of service to a company that is not aligned with your purpose and passion. If this describes you, it’s time to bust out of that place that is not working for you. I know the neuroscience suggests that it’s tough to do. We become “encultured” which means we get “stuck” in habituated habits and routines. I’ve met many over the years who claim they’ve been stuck in a bad job, marriage or situation for decades. Sadly, the passage of time makes it more difficult to break free, not easier. No wonder “think outside the box” is the most overused hyperbole. If folks were doing it we would not need to be constantly reminded that this type of thinking is needed.
Don’t despair, I discovered there’s a part of our brains that can help us think differently, more creatively, harness the insights we’ve missed and most importantly help us discover our truth. That place is the right hemisphere of our brains. What I learned in therapy over twenty years ago is that we can activate the neural pathways to reach the right side of our brains in a manner that is very time efficient. It’s also based on a Nobel Prize-winning discovery in science about hemispheric division and the functions of the two hemispheres.
The right hemisphere is specifically suited to help us be better problem solvers. So, when we confront those thorny problems we tossed aside or pretend we’ll get to another time, there’s no longer an excuse. We can confront these issues, demons, barriers and roadblocks preventing us from leading the type of lives we are intentional about and therefore create meaning and happiness.
“There’s no time like the present,” ”It’s about time,” “Time will tell” as the cliches go. They’ve held up because time is our most valuable commodity.
I invested the time to discover my own truth at age 38. The only regret is that I didn’t do so twenty years prior. I wrote the book (Thought Revolution, published by Simon & Schuster, August 2014) about the process that helped me unlock what I needed, a process often described as “Meeting Your Better Half” by unlocking the right side of our brains.
Over the past eleven years, I’ve met many who believe they’ve wasted a great deal of time by not successfully resolving the issues confronting them in life. They succumb to habituated habits and routines that keep them “stuck” and worse, are powerless to find solutions. In these cases, time becomes more foe than friend. It’s tough to break out of these patterns. I’ve found the right hemisphere of the brain to be the needed ally to spark a fresh way of thinking about what otherwise keeps us trapped in the past, while our clocks are ticking. Don’t be one of those who surrenders. Find a pathway to tackle the barriers you face, so that you’re living your life in an authentic, intentional manner. You won’t be waiting for your gold watch, a life lived well will be reward enough.