Addicted to Time

How many times a day do you look at a clock to check the time? Clocks are everywhere. In my office, there are three of them. They are in almost every room in my home. In my kitchen alone, we have five clocks. Clocks are in cars, computers, cell phones, and on my wrist. I even decorate time with different styles of watches for my wrist. I probably look at the time hundreds of times a day. It is time to get up, go to work, drop off the kids, attend meetings, leave work, pick up the kids, attend after school activities, time to go to bed and did you remember to take time to eat and slow down for some self-care today? Do you manage your time or does time manage you?

Our culture is driven by time. Most jobs and careers are related to the number of hours you work. “Time is money” as they say. To “make” money, you have to put in the time. If you do not take the time to work, money will run short or run out. Or will it? The seasons, the months of the year, are all related to time. People work their whole life to barely save enough to retire and die within a few years of retirement. Something is seriously wrong with this system. Is it really that we want more money or what money symbolizes: the FREEDOM to do what we want when we want?

The god Kronos, Cronos, Chronos, Chronus, or Khronos, spelled numerous ways but is generally known as the god of time, or even the harvest, known for carrying a scythe or a sickle. The etymology of the word kronos comes from “kraino” meaning to rule or command. There are different versions of his story and who he was; but in typical dysfunctional mythological fashion, he agrees to castrate his father Uranus. He eats his own children as they are being born, and eventually is tricked to regurgitating them up from their prison by his son Zeus he did not know he had. The children then raise against their father causing the Titan war; and finally, Kronos is castrated by his son Zeus… the end.

For the sake of time, you can do your own research on this character and his family. So, what does Kronos have to do with us today?

My point is in our modern western culture we are ruled and under the command of time and imprisoned to this present day. The spirit of Kronos is still alive and well.

I am coming to the conclusion that we are addicted to time. However, does it have to stay this way? Is this really true, or have we been lied to about this also? Running the rat race of the American dream creates stress, disease, and chaos. It destroys individuals and families physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and sexual health. Really, sexual health? Yes, we are not even able to relax and enjoy sex with our intimate partner. We do not take the time to slow down outside, let alone inside the bedroom.

Diane Richardson writes from her book The Heart of Tantric Sex: “With technological development, we have become addicted to time, to achievements, to plans in the future and to reaching our goals…The more highly developed the country, the more important time becomes, with people living on tight schedules with back-to-back appointments. This creates so much pressure we not only lose our ability to love, we actually become sick.”

We are sick. In our next blog, we will look at why relaxation is so important and how to unlearn our addiction to time. We are in such a hurry to make the next appointment that it impacts the ability to be intimate in and outside the bedroom.

Sources: “The Heart of Tantric Sex” by Diane Richardson, etymonline.com, Wikipedia.com

Cory Schortzman Executive Director

Cory Schortzman is an author, speaker, teacher and licensed mental health professional. Since 2008, he has served as the Executive Director of Transformed Hearts Counseling Center in Colorado Springs, CO. He is the founder of SARA, the Sexual Addiction Recovery Association. Cory is passionate about helping couples and individuals overcome sex addiction. He is also passionate about bringing awareness to the public and supporting the elimination of sex and human trafficking. Cory has been married since 1998 to his beautiful wife, Kerry, and lives in Colorado with their four daughters. He and Kerry have been seen on the CBS Early Show, Inside Edition, and ABC Good Morning America, Fox 21 News, and TLC/Discovery discussing the harm of sex addiction and the joys of recovery. He has also been heard on numerous radio programs.

Cory’s books include: Out of the Darkness, Into the Light the Workbook, Into the Light the Steps, Ashes to Beauty the Steps, 301 Dating Ideas, 301 Conversational Ideas, 301 Ways to Say I Love You, 301 Ways to Love Your Children & 301 Recovery Tools & Tips.