top of page

I Need More Time!

Writer's picture: Jill BrocklehurstJill Brocklehurst

What if the time you are desperately chasing is already in your grasp? So many of us constantly complain, “UGH, if only I had more time,” imagining how our lives might be 'better' if we could just squeeze in that one extra task, achieve that one more goal, or even carve out space to 'do nothing'. Surely, if we could make that happen, happiness would greet us with open arms. But, here's the problem: that blissful state we're chasing is not waiting for us around some future corner. It's right here, right now, masked by our relentless pursuit of 'more time’.


The perpetual chase for 'extra hours' is like a thought worm, burrowing deep into our minds, whispering to us that fulfillment is always just beyond our grasp. What if, instead of falling into this trap, we chose to embrace the present moment? What if we realized that true joy isn't about checking off every item on our list? What if joy is actually best ignited by finding meaning and purpose in the journey itself?


I have been guilty of being lured by 'the chase', personally. My first awareness of this came when I was camping with my boys, during their childhood. I distinctly remember thinking, “Next time…” . My next thought was then, “Whoa… what about THIS time?” What a wake-up call! Yet, after 30 years of practice, I still continue to aspire to consistently 'be here now'.


My experience is that most people in our society today are feeling overwhelmed as we live our 'highly entertained' lives. Life, life, life… distract, distract, distract. We get caught up in the diversions of our material world, frantically striving to be somewhere other than where we are now. When caught in this swirl, we lament the lack of “enough-ness” in our moments. This can show up in stories of 'not enough' money, free time, patience, opportunities, education, friends, fun… etc. To offset this longing, we dive into our most convenient distractions instead, believing disappointment and lack will vanish from our minds by doing so. For a minute it may work, but soon an increased feeling of inadequacy tends to surface, which can then lead to bouts of anxiety and depression.


Author Johann Hari wrote, in the book, Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention--and How to Think Deeply Again, "We are living in a crisis of attention that is affecting us all. We can't focus as we once could, and this is damaging our ability to think deeply, to solve problems, and to connect with each other.”


This phenomenon is caused by a kind of subduction process that happens when we put too much emphasis on the material world. We have traded the bliss of a deep spiritual connection with an Infinite Universe and Oneness, for the anxiety that comes with living in the game of focusing outside of ourselves. From this place, we wind up dancing around our confusion, imagining if we could just think things through a little harder, with a bit more time, we might get to the root of our problems and be free. Author Brian Hines wrote the following in, Return to the One: Plotinus’s Guide to God-Realization: “Impossible. One doesn’t leave a prison by staying in the prison.”


Recently, as I was driving to a camping spot with my 13-year-old granddaughter, she noted, “Grandma, have you ever noticed that when we are driving somewhere for the first time it seems to take forever, but on the way home, it takes no time at all?” We then launched into a philosophical conversation about time and perception. How wise she is to notice that time is not fixed, but is, rather, merely a product of our consciousness!


Here is where we begin to shift our lives: through consciousness. 'More' time isn’t better. Time may feel elusive but, from that level of consciousness, having more of it will just offer us more of the same messy lives we have been living. However, we know from the study of metaphysics that what we have created as our experiences in life can be undone by the same process. My teacher, Dr. Kenn Gordon, makes it clear when I come to him with confusion: “Get a new thought.”


I offer you a challenge. Can you walk down your hallway and be present to each moment of that short journey? Bring your attention to the specifics: “My right leg is rotating through the hip socket. My knee has a slight bend and my heel comes softly to the cool floor, flexing at the ankle, until my whole foot is grounded. And then…”. See how long you can stay focused on 'the now' before your mind wanders off. Remember, time isn't just passing by us - it is passing through us. This practice of presence isn't about 'perfection' - it's about persistently returning to the now, again and again. The reward? Moments of pure, undistracted bliss. You may discover that you don’t need 'more' time after all.

bottom of page