XIPE: The Corporate Gap Year and Professional Renewal

Free Time - 24 horas al día quiero vivir!

Time, such a precious and finite resource, why is it that it's never enough?

My mom often tells a story of my younger days. We were out on a playdate at the park, my friends and I had been playing for hours when she announced it was time to go home. Without hesitation, I looked her in the eye and complained, "Pero apenas empezábamos a jugar," I was starting to have fun, why would she want to take me home now? My mom was surprised, I was beginning to have fun? What was I doing all those hours?

While dreaming, planning, and doing, we can sometimes forget to enjoy the journey. You can get so caught up in the rush of doing and forget to savor life, we forget to dance many nights away in celebration of special moments.

Many times I crossed the finish line, out of breath, with a smile on my face, showing happiness, welcoming Quetzalcóatl (the Azted god of knowledge), receiving the breeze of his teachings, only long enough to ask myself what I thought was a logical question, "What's next?".

Many years back, I decided I would pursue a certification that would help solidify my career. I was fully employed as I committed to the preparation of this certification, not uncommon, many do it. I stuck with it, my life after work was the content of the certification, late nights, early mornings, and weekends inundated with more of the same. Nothing was fun about this time. Really, no fun to report.

Test day came, I sat through the hours, answering, and finally submitting the results, then the longest three minutes, processing, counting, calculating my final score…I passed. My heart skipped a beat, I passed. I sent a single text to MOV, "I passed, driving home." MOV sent every congratulatory emoji possible. I drove. I smirked. It was done. 

As I arrived home, MOV asked, "How do you want to celebrate?" 

"A walk." I responded. 

We went on a walk, I was deep in thought, analyzing the last few months of my life. Mission accomplished. I allowed myself a short celebratory dance at the stoplight before I started thinking about the next step. MOV wanted to know what else we were doing to celebrate, what fun we would get into?

"I have this other thing I need to do next." I quickly replied.

The look of disappointment on his face. What about the fun part? When will we start having fun? This was when my mom's story came full circle. I was so busy doing, I forgot to enjoy the ride. What if I ran out of time? 

Forget the certification, that was a checkmark on my career's 'to-do list.' The real-life lesson was in realizing that I was spending all my time thinking, planning and doing, and not enough time enjoying the journey. With the help of MOV, Quetzalcóatl taught me the value of time. Believe me, it's not limitless.

Stream of Thought

Doing and plotting,

Designing and thinking,

Enjoying the vision,

Rejoice in the planning,

Joy in the making,

The fun in the time,

The time as you go,

Building a life,

Not hers or the other,

Your life as you are,

Delight in the being,

To do what you want,

And not what you’re told,

Free time, want time,

Love time, more time,

Have time, for the time,

All the time, timeless time,

Desired time,

The chase of time,

Learning and yearning,

Time for the journey,

Traveling here,

Family there,

Limited time,

For me and for loving,

Pausing for time,

Triggering thoughts,

Conclusive and final,

The realization,

Of the counting of time.

Stop for the now,

That will never come back.