There are seasons when time seems generous, opening around us with enough room to notice where we are, and others when every hour feels like pressure. In this quiet exploration of our relationship with time, Aaron moves between memory, philosophy, family, and the rhythms of the body to consider how deeply our stories about time shape the way we inhabit a life. From the measured world of chronos to the rarer invitation of kairos moments, the conversation asks what happens when presence becomes more important than the clock. Along the way, experiences of time anxiety, childhood shame, parenthood, work, aging, and life seasons gently surface a larger question: how much of what we believe about being early, late, ready, behind, or successful was inherited rather than discovered for ourselves? This is an episode for settling into the present without pretending calendars and obligations disappear, and for noticing the moments that quietly ask whether we are willing to meet our lives as they are unfolding. Invitations to Consider: When time becomes companion or oppressor. Aaron contrasts two formative memories, holding his infant son and confronting an unfinished seventh-grade assignment, to explore how the same experience of time can deepen presence or become entangled with fear and shame.The stories beneath the clock. The episode considers not only seconds, minutes, and hours, but inherited agreements about workweeks, weekends, deadlines, age, achievement, retirement, and when life is supposedly meant to happen.Chronos and kairos. Ancient Greek understandings of measured time and the “ripe moment” offer another way of noticing opportunities that cannot always be scheduled or recovered.The places we hide behind time. “Not yet,” “I’m not ready,” and “it’s too late” become invitations to examine whether time is genuinely the obstacle or whether it sometimes protects us from fear, uncertainty, or possible disapproval.Living according to seasons. Aaron reflects on the contrast between productivity-centered calendars and the natural cycles of rest, growth, strength, harvest, dormancy, aging, and renewal that shape human life. About Aaron: Aaron Tabacco, PhD, has spent more than thirty years guiding people through growth and change, often in complex and high-stakes environments. He currently serves as the Director of Staff Experience at a major academic health sciences university. With a background spanning nursing, neuroscience, education, coaching, and mediation, his work centers on helping individuals and organizations navigate identity, connection, and transformation with greater clarity and care. Known for his grounded presence and compassionate communication, Aaron works with students, clinicians, faculty, executives, and senior leaders across healthcare and other industries. His approach integrates relational depth, reflective practice, and a commitment to creating more humane, integrated ways of working and living. He works in San Francisco, California, and lives in Vancouver, Washington, where he continues a lifelong engagement with writing, music, and the landscapes of the Pacific Northwest alongside his husband and three adult sons. https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-tabacco-phd-83359b9/ https://lucusgroup.com/home https://substack.com/@aarontabacco?r=b5ap9&utm_medium=ios https://www.youtube.com/@CirclesEdges Email: aaron@circlesedges.org Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can follow the podcast on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app. Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you are enjoying the show, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. This show was brought to you in part by the Magic Thread Media Network. To learn more visit: https://magicthreadmedia.com/
