The 20th Annual Book Report Competition For Secondary School Students
The 1st Runner Up of English Junior Section
School: Wa Ying College Student Name: Yeung Hok Man Title: Time Shifting
I must admit, it was the beautiful cover, the idyllic and relaxed scenery of sunset that caught my attention. Before reading ¡§Timeshifting¡¨, I guessed that this book was only a mudane leisure book teaching people where to go to have a relaxing vacation. But when I started reading the book, just the introduction, I was surprised to find that this book is a well-written philosophical book which gives the readers lots of guidelines on how to ¡§create¡¨ more time. ¡§Time is simply one facet of life itself, and life is the gift of time¡¨------the quotation from Thomas Moore, a reviewer in the book, inspired me to think what ¡§time¡¨ actually means. This started me off the exploration of this fascinating book. Apparently, ¡§Timeshifting¡¨ seems to be a practical guidebook on how to use our time effectively. Actually I consider it a philosophical book giving insight in leading a meaningful life. It is an ¡§essential nutrition¡¨ which should be added to our daily life. The author, an experienced physician, gives the readers lots of advice and suggestions about how to use time effectively through analyzing the cases of his patients he has come across from different angles. By studying the cases of his patients, he can always find out the same problems in the society we live. Most people including you and me, always put work first and hence overlooking the important things in life. From what the author has learnt in Omega Institute, where people could develop skills to help them become fully alive, he reminds us to be more aware of time. Time awareness is the basic technique of ¡§timeshifting¡¨ which means that we can still work hard when we work, and move fast when we need to. But we should stay away from work when we are off work. By doing this, we can relax and enjoy the beauty of our surroundings, being alive in a way that it is impossible when we stick in ¡§high gear¡¨ all the time. The author states that the world is alive with a myriad of rhythms. Everything including waves of electrons, molecules in wood and rocks, grass and of course we ourselves moves in rhythm. We are dominated by rhythm. ¡§Timeshifting¡¨ introduced in this book is not that mysterious like magic in imaginative stories that can bring us back to the past. It means constantly changing our rhythm, slowing or accelerating in order to feel ¡§present¡¨ and in the flow of time. ¡§Timeshifting¡¨ is a conscious effort, a decision to alter our relationship to a particular rhythm. We usually ¡§timeshift¡¨ when the rhythm is wrong for us, maybe too fast or stressful. Having taught what ¡§timeshifting¡¨ is, the author further tells the readers how to exercise ¡§timeshifting¡¨. There are several steps in exercising ¡§timeshifting¡¨. These steps can be generalized into two main ideas. The first one is to ¡§create time boundaries¡¨. ¡§Boundaried time¡¨ is the time for ourselves, for doing something we want. There is no need to fulfill obligations, achieve goals or gain achievements in that period. During this period, we can listen to the music, enjoy morning coffee and the most important thing of course is enjoying the great beauty that we always disregard in our surroundings. Enjoying the ¡§boundaried time¡¨ is marvelous and exhilarating. Why can¡¦t we try to cut just half an hour from our tight schedule to ¡§purchase¡¨ enjoyment for ourselves? The second one is to ¡§create spontaneous time¡¨. Most of us lead lives of routinization. The weekdays are for work while the weekends are for chores and social and personal commitment. Routine leads to internal passivity and repetition can lead to a state that we easily glide through the present without being aware of our surroundings and even ourselves. Spontaneous time allows us to break ¡§set¡¨ and come freshly without any expectation, into a truly new experience. It is an opportunity to be truly present. After learning a ¡§course¡¨------ ¡§timeshifting¡¨, I have learnt how to manage my time and create a ¡§space¡¨ for myself when I am suffering stress. Nowadays people are so accustomed to extreme time pressure that just sitting for a few minutes will feel like frittering their precious time away. Especially those working class, they are used to running at top speed, often doing several things at a time. They may even think that slowing down will become stressful and they literally cannot see the stunning scenery around them. They are so habituated to time urgency that they cannot get rid of work or duties on holidays. Living under stress and tension is unhealthy and painful. Though working hard seems to enable us to earn more money, we may actually lose much more than what we have gained: our health (both mental and physical); our relationship with others; children if you are playing the role of parents. Is it worth losing all these for the sake of getting more money? Workaholism has become rampant throughout our society. Lots of people mistake working faster means producing more. But the fact is that the production time is a measure of both productivity and efficiency. Therefore, working like this is just prolonging the production time, not reducing it. If you want to balance the time for work and the time for yourself, ¡§Timeshifting¡¨ will be the suitable tool for you to achieve this end. If we consciously learn to control time in our lives, the stress we suffer can be counteracted. ¡§Timeshifting¡¨ is no doubt an excellent philosophical book though it is a bit profound. It broadens my horizon and helps me to re-understand the value of time. Reading ¡§Timeshifting¡¨ like having found a priceless treasure. ¡§Timeshifting¡¨ shows people a way to take each day as a chance for finding greater love and fulfillment. ¡§Timeshifting¡¨ is highly recommended for those who are seeking the opportunity to live with fullest and vitality. |