Kairos: Living In Between Time

Kairos is an ancient Greek word for opportune time. In fact, the Greeks had two words for time: chronos and kairos. The first described chronological or sequential time, whereas kairos is described as the moments between time when something extraordinary occurs. For me, life is all about timing and kairos. Being in tune with the flow of life is to know when to will something into being or when to just let it happen.

Finding the balance between the two is a way to live in this world but not of it. This delicate timing is the intangible ingredient when making decisions. Often times we want to make a decision right away, in order to satisfy the ego’s feeling of accomplishment. When we are in the midst of feeling uncertain about what to do, I would suggest that this might not be the right time to make the decision. It may not be the best time to will something into your life, but rather to let it manifest on its own.

Each day, we are faced with a gamut of decisions to make. From the very small and routine, most times the choice is near automatic– like waking up on time for work or choosing to exercise that day. Some decisions carry more weight, meaning that we give them more significance, like deciding whether to accept a job offer, how to spend your annual vacation or considering a move out of the country.  It is important to note that we give meaning to everything in our lives. A million people can perceive the exact same event, person or thing in just as many different ways.  If we take a moment to consider the weight in which we give a decision, we can begin to understand why we are giving it such importance or any significance at all.

Indecisiveness can be crippling in that it keeps us from moving forward in our lives. It is displayed as an inability to choose because we are afraid to. When even the smallest of decisions cannot be made and the result is no action at all, life does not flow. Can you think of a time that you found yourself stuck in making what would usually be a routine decision?  Why do we get stuck and how can we overcome this inertia in our lives?

Getting stuck is often a reflection of our own perceived lack of self worth. Often times, it is our feelings of unworthiness that prevent us from choosing freely.  When we are concerned about how we will be perceived and judged by others for the decision that we make, we question what to do. The emotion that fuels the perception of unworthiness is fear. We are afraid of choosing the “wrong” thing. The ego not only justifies the fear, it feeds it by rationalizing it. The ego reminds us of other decisions we have made that resulted in less than desired results. Do not be fooled by the mind.

The ego does not understand that all choices lead to consciousness. Imagine all of the choices you have made up to this point. Perhaps some decisions have brought about some suffering but ultimately all your suffering has brought you to this moment. In this moment, you are present. You have grown in consciousness because of the choices you have made. Be grateful for them.

Right choice or the choice that leads to no suffering does not happen through thinking. Only in present moment awareness do we connect to our higher self and through that connection we will know what to do. It has been described as a ready-made realization. A simple knowing of what to do will be revealed to you. In the stillness, where no fear resides, your true nature exists and it will guide you to the optimal choice. In fact, no choice really needs to be made. It is the mind that likes to evaluate and compare in an attempt to decide. The soul needs no such analysis. When the time is right and if you are present, the realization blooms and makes itself known. The realization may come as a feeling of knowing or it may come to you as a synchronistic event or sudden opportunity that was not previously known.

To stir the stagnated energy of indecisiveness, I propose that you step more fully into the present moment. Allow yourself a chance to be still. With a quieted mind, our soul has the opportunity to rise up to our awareness and make its intentions known. A good question to ask is: If I were not afraid, what would I choose? Ask this question with a purity of intention and expect a response.  Let your higher self guide you in the times that your egoic mind has failed you. As you become familiar with the inner guidance of your soul, you will find that Life has a beautiful flow to it. Find that flow in your everyday by connecting to the divinity within you and enjoy life…not through ordinary time but one rooted in kairos.