79 days to go...

Today I reflected on Eckart Tolle’s distinction between clock time and psychological time (in The Power of Now). When we entertain emotions about the past or the future, we have switched to psychological time. And Eckart explains this is unhealthy because it keeps us from living now.

In my own life, I have a big pain body that causes me grief. I have been carrying it for the past several years. The cause is something private to me, but the effect is important. It often saps my strength. And against my intention, I can’t help myself until now from feeding this pain body regularly by dwelling in emotions on the past, and on what could have been for the future. At those times, I live heavily in psych time.

And I realized today that it causes me a double loss. First, I miss out on living in the now, and second I loose the energy which could have been used for a positive purpose. I really want to drop psych time, and live now, with a daily dose of clock time planning. So my theme for reflection was Switching Off Psych Time.

I flew to Hanoi today, through Ho Chi Minh City. I could observe many different kinds of people during my travel. I was more aware of my surroundings. And I met a few nice people tonight in my friend’s house facing Hanoi’s beautiful West Lake.

I am satisfied with this travel and reflection day.

Photograph: Rose petals in bowl in my room, Somerset West Lake hotel.