Do you know the feeling, that sometimes time seems to barely move, while at other times it just flies by? We encounter this paradox of time in varied experiences, sometimes we find ourselves racing against the clock in back-to-back meetings, other times we're so immersed in what we're doing that we don't even notice time passing. In both scenarios time appears to be passing swiftly, yet still it carries different qualities. In their exploration of time's intricacies, the greeks discovered two different measures of time: Chronos and Kairos.
Chronos is the quantitative measure of time, it is about the relentless, perpetual march of seconds on the clock. Kairos on the other hand embodies the qualitative essence of time, it's about living in the present, seizing opportunities and about recognizing the significance of the "right moments". (A fun fact by the way is, that Chronos and Kairos come from greek mythology. Chronos, the god of eternally passing time, is the father of Zeus, he was said to be a cruel god. Kairos, Zeus' youngest son, is the god of the opportunity. He was described to have bald head, except for one lock of long hair, which was the only way of grabbing hold of him. This is actually where the german saying "Eine Gelegenheit am Schopfe packen", to seize an opportunity, originates.)
Some say that Kairos time is when life unfolds. The good news is, Kairos is said to be always and everywhere. Kairos can be found in everyday life, whether it's the full concentration on a task or a short break outdoors to regenerate. The concept of Kairos time might be familiar to you, in other contexts it is called a flow experience. It is however an overlooked concept, because it seems intangible. In the next articles I will explore practical ways to cultivate the experience of flow or Kairos time across various tasks. In the meantime, let us appreciate the beauty both Chronos and Kairos lend to our perception of time, and perhaps try to pick one moment today where you appreciate the present.