Chronos Or Kairos Time Part II

This is the second in a series on time. Last week featured a quick tour of the nature and science of time. This week looks at Chronos and Kairos time. Chronos and Kairos, in ancient Greek cosmos, were “time deities who reigned [… over]aspects of time” (https://mylifetea.com/blogs/the-gods/chronos-versus-kairos-a-comparative-study-of-time-deities).  Chronos is connected with “… quantitative time… that can be measured and divided into specific units such as seconds, minutes, and hours. It is the time that governs our daily routines, schedules, and deadlines. Chronos is linear and continuous, moving forward in a predictable and orderly fashion. It is the time that we use to plan our lives, set goals, and meet deadlines (https://thisvsthat.io/chronos-vs-kairos).  Chronos is ‘clock time;’  it is rigid, persistent, and measured.  Chronos is what encourages us to panic if we forget to set our alarm clock and we have to hustle to get to work on Chronos time.

On the other hand, Kairos is connected … “with qualitative time, the kind of time that is experienced subjectively and is not bound by strict measurements or divisions. It is the opportune moment, the right time for action, decision, or change. Kairos is nonlinear and unpredictable, often arising unexpectedly and requiring a spontaneous response (https://thisvsthat.io/chronos-vs-kairos).  For this reason, some people refer to Kairos time as ‘God’s time, Spirit time.’  Kairos is what reminds us not to panic if we forget to set our alarm clock and see this slip in routine as the Higher Power telling us we need rest, to take a chance, to get out in nature for a refreshing walk on our unexpected day off.

Here are handy comparisons of Chronos and Kairos:

“ * Chronos is associated with clock time and schedules, while Kairos is associated with moments of inspiration and creativity.

* Chronos is relentless and forward-moving, while Kairos is spontaneous and requires a flexible approach.

*Chronos is about planning and organization, while Kairos is about seizing the moment and making the most of opportunities” (https://thisvsthat.io/chronos-vs-kairos).

You don’t have to be religious or spiritual to honor Kairos time.  If we welcome the balance of Chronos and Kairos time, we will likely experience more harmonious symmetry, and will likely not get caught up so much in the ‘hustle culture’ with its burnout, workaholism, stress to keep up.

Where in your life do you need to bring Chronos and Kairos time into balance? Please share your stories, thoughts, insights, and suggestions by either commenting below this post if you are reading this on social media, or, if you are reading this through your email subscription, please share, by emailing me, at reimaginelife22@gmail.com.

Thank you for reading and participating in this blog essay; I invite you to subscribe to my blog at www.reimaginelifecoach.com.