Bella Dyosa

Ah, time.

The ever so fascinating concept. Perhaps because it’s straightforward yet elusive. Tangible yet abstract. For some, it may even be considered an illusion.

And why not? We’re the only species on Earth that actually quantifies time (as in, count every second, every minute, every hour, etc.) – letting us meet that deadline or catch the last train.

Before anyone comes for me, yes. There is scientific research on how animals measure annual time. But it’s an entirely different playing field.

You don’t see birds hurrying to the next neighborhood or giraffes hollering to get out of migration “traffic”.

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So, with that matter addressed accordingly, let’s move on to the star of the show: kairos and chronos. Sounds epic, right? Like out of a freaking Marvel movie.

Ancient Greeks came up with these two different but equally important concepts of time. Chronos refers to the usual time that we think of – our seconds, minutes, hours, days, months, and years; even phases of the moon.

Kairos, on the other hand, is qualitative time. More abstract, but meaningful – it can be found when tears of joy are shed at a beautiful wedding.

When dancing the night away with the love of your life without a care in the world. When walking along the shoreline of a place that will always feel like home.

Moments in life that you could never possibly forget.

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Now that both concepts are brewing in your brain, is there one in particular that you prefer? Is there one that stands out? There’s no right or wrong answer.

As someone whose top love language is quality time, I definitely lean more towards kairos. But at the same time (pun intended), I know the value of chronos.

Birthdays, for example, are a testament to that. There is a particular day when we were born, allowing us to remember when exactly we came into this world. The same applies to our loved ones.

Imagine having to say that your birthday was when your mom had felt the earth quake and shake while riding the tricycle on the way to the hospital.

Insane, right? I mean cool (and true) story, but insane.

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On the other end of the spectrum, we have birthday celebrations. Time spent to make the most of the day your born isn’t measured by the minutes or hours you spend on a particular activity.

And again, I will let you visualize it for yourself: have you ever remembered a birthday with the seconds you spent wishing on your birthday cake? Or the hours your party went on for?

No. You remember the laughs exchanged with friends or family. You remember the exceptional food you chose to eat. You remember the wondrous places you visited that left a mark in your soul.

Proving that both chronos and kairos have their own unique purpose in our weird ass yet wildly beautiful human lives.

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So, the next time that you catch yourself rushing or pressuring yourself with your ultimate vision, recognize the integration of kairos and chronos in your life.

Remind yourself that you are on your own timeline, nobody else’s.

Chronos motivates us to create goals and possibly achieve them in a certain timeframe. However, kairos helps us understand that there is beauty in the steps taken to accomplishing those goals and finally reaching them – amid the road bumps and scenic pauses.

Your timeline is uniquely yours. Not a single person or entity can set the standard chronos or kairos for you but you.

Are we really going to sacrifice our own joy and delicate, divinely guided pace based on how everyone else deals with their timeline?

I’m hoping that for anyone reading this, your answer is “no”. Because if so, you’re already winning wherever (and whenever 😉) you are on your journey.