"If to the moment I should say:

Stay awhile, you are so beautiful "

Goethe - Faust, Part I

" As a strategic weapon time is the equivalent of money, productivity, quality, and even innovation...The ways companies manage time--in production, in sales and distribution, in new product development and introduction--are the most powerful new sources of competitive advantage."

George Stalk, Jr. and Thomas Hout, Competing Against Time (1990)

"The nanosecond culture brings with it a new and more virulent form of reductionism...We are entering a new temporal world where time is segmented into nanoseconds, the future is programmed in advance, nature is reconceived as bits of information, and paradise is viewed as a fully simulated, artificial environment."

Jeremy Rifkin, Time Wars (1987)

"Do we make ourselves sick by conforming to an idea of a strict linear time composed of a rigid succession of future, past, and present? ... I have come to have little doubt that this is the case. Many illnesses, --perhaps most--may be caused either wholly or in part by our misperception of time..." I began to realize that I was witnessing patients becoming healthier through acquiring a new experiential meaning of what time was all about."

Larry Dossey, M.D. Space, Time, and Medicine (1982)

Yet time in the new economy has become the equal in importance of land, capital, labor, and technology. And the way leading companies manage time holds the key to competitive advantage.

Is there an intelligent path between the exigency of business and a life of health and quality?

In this first Training Bulletin we will explore a paradox: the more we master the secrets of 'slow time,' the quicker, the more incisive we become. This is exemplified by the samurai maxim, fudo-myoo, "unmoving mind, unvacillating body." To the samurai warrior, trained to face death in every moment, each moment opened an infinity of time and space.

In December 1998 while attending an international conference in Tokyo he experienced a sudden sharp pain in his abdomen. At first he thought it was due to too many sit-ups the night before. But the pain didn't go away. With the help of his Japanese sales manager he visited the local hospital where he received his diagnosis: an aneurysm of the aorta with a 50% chance of survival if operated on immediately. His chances were grim if the operation was delayed, because of the likelihood that his aorta would rupture.

In his case, the gods smiled. The hospital in which he found himself was able to assemble an outstanding team of heart surgeons. After eight hours of surgery the aneurysm was stabilized. Three weeks later he was home in Boston, which is when I received the following e-mail message: "Julian, please give me your advice this weekend on the XYZ matter. The Japanese company we have been negotiating with needs an answer and we cannot delay any longer. When can I reach you for a conference call this weekend?"

"And you, "replied the Abbot strongly, "are looking at a man who can be run through without blinking!" The general stared at him, then bowed deeply and retired.

(Adapted from Trevor Leggett, The Tiger's Cave (1994)

Comments and Questions: Most people view slow time as a luxury or an indulgence, rather than understanding that it is the most powerful means to sharpen an extraordinary sense of timing and reactive capability. After years of disciplined training, the Abbot's response exploded out of slow time, unshadowed by any thought. In your own life can you recall situations where you also acted with similar fierceness and courage? At that moment what was the source of your power?

Artful Navigator References: In studying this case you might want to refer to the following hyperlink references in the Index to the Artful Navigator: Action-Reaction, Re-Reaction Principle of Fearlessness Principle of Timing Principle of Sequencing Sense of Ease and Time to Spare I Don't Know No Assumptions/No Expectations Pain/Need Ratio

 Case # 3 -- A Parable

A man on his way home one day encountered a tiger. He fled, the tiger after him. Coming to a precipice, he caught hold of the root of a wild vine and swung himself down over the ledge. The tiger sniffed at him from above, her great roar, like rolling thunder, cascading across the valley. Trembling, the man looked down to where, far below, the tiger's mate waited to devour him. Only the vine sustained him.

Comments and Questions:The man did the appropriate thing -- he ran away from the tiger; but still he found himself in a hopeless situation. Isn't this the parable of our lives? They are indeed "hopeless, "since in the end we will all die. And yet, our life is also profoundly full of hope, in each and every moment. Are not even precarious positions at times hilarious and ridiculous? (You might enjoy the recent movie, "Life is Beautiful.") Are there situations in your own life today where you find yourself close to the bone, where the teaching of this case can be a refuge?

Artful Navigator References: In studying this case you might want to refer to the following hyperlink references in the Index to the Artful Navigator: Presence is All/ Each Moment Has Equal Dignity Principle of Beauty Principle of Abundance Principle of Increasing Fun and Play Principle of Liberation Principle of Increasing Clarity, Brightness, and Fidelity Life Force and Vitality

III. Training Tips For Balancing Slow and Fast Time

In my own exploration of slow and fast time I am discovering that the art of balance is learned in part conceptually, but mostly energetically and by living it. Here are some ideas:

•  Consider a Slow Time Audit -- how much of each day or week have you reserved for slow time?

• Focus on What is Really Important rather than what is urgent

© Copyright, Julian Gresser, February, 1999, All Rights Reserved