“If I could turn back the hands of time…”
–Tyrone Davis

When I was a graduate student, we had several beloved instructors. These were men who had distinguished themselves in industry as well as in the applied sciences, and who devoted the last part of their careers to cultivating excellence in the generation behind them. Because the Institute was not a large place, we had the opportunity and the privilege of getting to know our instructors socially as well as academically. One of these sages was a most interesting man, Mr. F.

It’s late. No pressure!

One evening when we were away from campus on a field assignment, Mr. F. told several of us that he had discovered the secret of time travel. Of course we were skeptical — reasoning as we had been taught to question everything, but also to be on the alert for practical jokes. But Mr. F. insisted it was no joke — he had learned how to time travel and he wanted to teach us what he had learned.

Still waiting for the punch line, I asked him to tell us. What he said was not what I expected, but I have found it useful for gaining perspective, for solving “impossible” problems and for helping me to persevere.

Here is what Mr. F. said:

“Whenever I find that I’m in a tough spot, or I’m faced with an intractable problem, I find a quiet place. I sit down, I close my eyes, and I picture myself on the other side of that problem.” He wasn’t joking, and I’m not joking by telling you this.

Here’s why Mr. F. was onto something:

• You realize that the current problem isn’t the end of the line for you — Sometimes just the ability to see yourself as a survivor can help you find the will to press on. As Babe Ruth said, “It’s hard to beat somebody who never gives up.”
• You can look back and figure out how you solved the problem — This sounds crazy, but placing yourself beyond the current situation gives you a different angle on it. You’d be surprised how you can unleash your creativity by altering your point of view. This is similar to sleeping on a decision, but you can do it in far less time.
• You can reduce the stress associated with the problem, making your mind more agile. Stress distracts you. But if the stress is in the past, it doesn’t have that power any more.
• You can put the problem into perspective in relation to your career, your relationships or your finances. This keeps the problem from devouring your life and your hope. Having a fight with your wife or your parents, owing a large sum of money, losing a job or facing a looming deadline — all of these can look like an insurmountable wall in your path. Being able to see that these are episodes in a greater story can help you to avoid overreacting and doing or saying something you’ll regret later. Rashness doesn’t become a gentleman.

No technology on the horizon

For fans of H. G. Wells, Dr. Who, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, Groundhog Day, About Time, or any of the hundreds of stories dealing with time machines or time travel, I’m sorry to disappoint you. There is no technology that will enable us to change the past. Trying to do that could lead to comedy injury. Stephen Hawking explains that if time travel were possible in the future, someone would have already returned to tell us.

YOLO. So?

It’s true: You only live once. But instead of using this as a justification for the pursuit of pleasure, why not use Mr. F.’s time travel technique to help you overcome your challenges? We each get the same 24 hours, the same seven days, the same twelve months, the same 365 days. You can get more out of yours if you’re not stalled by problems or immobilized by fear. Try it.

So how about you? How do you intend to use your one and only life? Add your comments below.