Time flows on, regardless of our attempts to hold it back. But what if, instead of resisting the changes time inevitably brings, we made time our ally in creating the life we desire?

Here are five simple practices you can incorporate into your daily living to make time your ally.

1. Your Body Knows Best:  Listen to it. Heed your inner wisdom so your choices align with your overall well-being.

Several years ago, I ignored the swelling in the back of my knee, the one with the ACL I tore many years ago. I kept dancing. And then, it ballooned out like a puffer fish. Had I stopped, asked my body what it needed and listened to its response, I might have avoided being rushed to emergency to have it drained.

“Ask yourself: ‘What am I feeling right now? Tiredness? Joy? A quiet nudge in a certain direction?'” – and then listen for the answers. Don’t rush them. Just listen.

Taking time to hear your body creates a deeper mind/body connection, allowing you to move beyond purely emotional responses.

2. Embrace Imperfection: Time is our ally because it allows for growth and change. We don’t have to get everything right immediately. Mistakes are part of the journey. Just as there is no perfect way to write a book or paint a portrait, there is no perfect path to living and aging. There is only the path you are on.

When I worked in a homeless shelter, I taught a personal development course to individuals striving to re-enter the workforce. “What if I don’t get it right,” one individual asked when contemplating which basic certificate to take first to obtain his license to drive a forklift. “Do you have any of the necessary courses?” I asked. “No,” they replied. “Then whatever course you take will bring you one step closer to your goal.” They signed up for a course and then another until one day, they proudly came to see me to say they’d got a job in a warehouse driving a forklift.

Embracing imperfection allows for grace to walk with you, no matter how or where you’re going.

3. Practice Presence: Instead of dwelling on the past or worrying about the future, find joy in the now.

Every day, as I walk the familiar shoreline of our island, I see something new. Each discovery brings me joy.

Remember, there is beauty in every moment, in the everyday wonders that surround us. Savour the beauty all around you, look for small and big miracles everywhere and allow the past to lay in peace. The future is a mystery yet to be discovered. Live in the miracle of now.

4. Cultivate Curiosity: Always be a student of life. Time provides endless opportunities to learn and explore. This keeps us engaged and our minds sharp.

As a mixed media artist, curiosity is an essential ingredient in everything I create. As I work on a piece I always ask myself, “I wonder what would happen if… [I did this] [added that]. Always I am surprised and pleased with my wonderment.

Let yourself be surprised by life.

5. Forgive yourself and others: Holding onto grudges and regrets steals precious time and energy. It also clouds your joy and your relationships.

My mother and I had a strained relationship. I wanted her to be the mother of my dreams. She could only be the mother she was. I struggled to simply be present with her until I finally worked with a therapist on forgiveness. In forgiveness, I became the daughter she wanted. I no longer made waves or asked challenging questions about the past; questions she did not want to answer. In my decision to forgive her, without having to involve or tell her, our relationship became less strained and I felt more peaceful.

Forgiveness liberates us to move forward.

What about you? What’s one way you can listen to your body’s wisdom today? Or a step you can take towards a long-held dream?