The Balance
In times of turbulence, there is always fear. That fear arises out of an understanding that at any moment, we can fall off the edge of a cliff and everything will be lost. This morning I woke to a new day, having gained an hour of conventional time due to the switch to "standard" versus daylight saving time.
It's dark at 5 a.m., and it is said that we "gain" an hour in those states that adhere to the switching of the clock twice a year. The issue of changing clocks and adjusting our bodies to accommodate a new agreement as to time happens twice a year in California. Other states such as Hawai'i and Arizona do not play. Time stays steady and the rest of the nation adjusts. The changes keep us on our toes as we balance the timing of things that have to happen in every day life. The states that don't make their clocks adjust simply wait for the first time that year when an appointment is missed or a call never comes as set - or it comes an hour later or earlier than planned.
Changing our clocks is like one big test of our ability to maintain collective balance in a world that is already tossing and turning. In most instances, missing an hour doesn't much matter. The body adjusts, the mind accepts the change (if not begrudgingly), and life goes on. The place where balance has to be maintained is in the heart space. No matter what happens - a missed call or appointment, a rush to get somewhere only to find you actually have a spare hour, or just not realizing that the rest of your local community is in a different time space - no big deal.
The big deal is staying in balance, no matter what. Whether you ride with change without missing a beat, or you fall out of the saddle because you missed the social agreement to turn a clock back (or forward), staying in balance is what matters. This time change brings an important opportunity to learn: As you move from one stage in life to the next, there is a chance to practice how to keep things in balance. Time change is an easy one because missing a beat won't be devastating in most instances. But because it is a change that literally everyone in your community and across the country experiences, whether clocks get adjusted or not, there is a shared and lived experience of change. When things work - great; when things don't work because of time being misread, how do we respond to the glitch? And usually, it's just a glitch but then again - time is so important as a social connector so keeping things set as agreed is something we all expect of others and others expect of us. It can be a challenge for some.
I still love the idea of saving light and I still wish daylight saving could be permanent. Something about the daily reminder of a day ending at 4:30 or 5 p.m. is such a strong reminder of how little time we have to be a part of putting into the world the care we all need. I suppose getting up "earlier" is a way to make up for the earlier arrival of darkness to bring closure of the day. In the mornings we get longer stretches of quiet and darkness where the mysteries can be revealed. There is a slowness of awakening into the world. There is a new chance to practice balancing life, time, energy - like it or not. That's something to recognize as this new day, November 1, 2026 opens the way to the routine of living each day with just a slight twist in time and a chance to practice together, being in balance.