Every RPG seems to have that one class that’s overpowered; in the game of life on earth, the Time Bender type is that class. Of course, that has a downside: Time Benders are the type most likely to be shamed into smallness by the world – so much so that it’s very likely I have no idea how much power I hold. It’s also likely that I’ve lived with self-imposed limitations to avoid feeling shut out and lonely. Doing that probably felt necessary so I could belong to a group without making anyone feel bad, in which case I haven’t yet discovered what I’m truly capable of or had the opportunity to find the group that will accept, value, and love me for who I am.
Time Benders are a hybrid of two other types with our own unique twist…
Like Initiators, I have a non-verbal creative flow (“creative” as in making things happen, not necessarily arts and crafts). My inner alignment binds me to a creative flow that brings change, transformation, and creativity to the world in new ways. When I feel the inspiration to take action, it’s so compelling that I frequently forget to inform those around me of what I’m doing, what my plans are, where I’m going, etc. Stopping to inform or answer questions interrupts my creative flow and creates the frustration of derailed drive, especially if the interruption lasts long enough that I can’t get back into my flow.
Like Alchemists, I have a great deal of internally generated and sustainable energy.
As a Time Bender, I’m faster than Initiators and have more energy than Alchemists. I’m also the most powerful type of Time Bender because I have the 34-20 circuit, which is the most powerful of all the possible circuits. My speed gives me the role of finding the fastest, easiest way to complete tasks and to experience self-proficiency. it’s my role to speed up the experience of time by finding the fastest route and the quickest path. When I align with my inner signal of timing and my creative flow, I’m a powerful force capable of bringing to the world an expedited way to create something new.
Multitasking is essential to me, not because I CAN create multiple things simultaneously, but because I NEED to be busy to expend my excess energy. Not everything that I start will be completed, which others can often judge as sloppy. The expectation that I should finish everything I start can lead to the experience of frustration and anger if I fail to realize that some creative projects simply serve the function of burning off extra energy. For that reason, not everything I start needs to be completed. It’s ok for me to pick and choose what I complete and to simply do when/what I need to do only as long as it feels right to continue. Being in touch with my inner voice is the best way for me to know what’s right to continue to completion and what isn’t.
My speed also means that I frequently skip steps. Although others might view this in a negative light, it’s how I’m supposed to operate – that’s how I identify faster ways to accomplish things. Since this is a learning process, I won’t always pick the right steps to skip. Sometimes I’ll need to go back and do steps I skipped. That doesn’t mean I did anything wrong; it’s just part of the trial-and-error necessary to discover which steps can be skipped.
The highest (aka wisest, most positive, etc.) expression of my type – the more I identify with this, the more personal integrity I’m experiencing:
At my most proficient, I’m aware of my power and speed. I’m deeply conscious of those around me who will be impacted by my fast response to life. I’m tuned in to the inner signal of my intuitive instincts and I follow my strategy. My capacity to do changes the story of what can be done in time and on time. Through my own experience, I gain wisdom about which steps are necessary to create in a skillful way and which steps can be skipped. I have the capacity to bring creative projects to fulfillment and become more skillful over how to work directly with my creative flow and experience of time. My ability to “do” transforms people’s perceptions of what’s possible.
The low (aka novice, unbalanced, shadow, etc.) expression of my type – the more I identify with this, the greater my need to realign toward personal integrity to bring more joy and fulfillment into my life:
When unbalanced, I struggle with the same theme of quitting before reaching mastery as the Alchemists. My frustration is more intense and edgier, mixed with the anger of creative disruption. This is a symptom of the quality and quantity of energy I naturally carry. I can build up intense amounts of energy in my body, and I sometimes have to work hard to shut down, disconnecting me from my inner creative flow and natural power. When I’m disconnected from the response mechanism of my intuitive, instinctive wisdom, I can often resort to creating/doing solely from what seems logical or rational to my mind, causing me to expand massive amounts of energy with little return, triggering frustration and anger. If I force myself to only focus on creating in a limited way, if I believe that I’m scattered and unfocused if I multitask, I’ll also build up energy in my body that can cause me to experience deep frustration, anger, and ultimately burnout.
The lesson/challenge of my type is to learn to wait for the next right step and inform before acting, to accept that not all actions will result in the success I envision, to recognize that my role is to find the most efficient way to create, to embrace my inner sense of timing married with action unique to my energy, and to follow at my own correct speed without self-judgment.
What I need from people who love me
-
- Ask me yes or no questions
- Don’t tell me what to do
- Don’t interrupt my flow
- Give me freedom to go at my own speed and don’t try to keep up or hold me back
- Don’t try to make me do one thing at a time or do things the “right” way – it’s correct for me to multitask, skip steps, and experiment
- Just like I inform you, I also need to be informed
- If I forget to inform, trust that I’m not doing anything wrong and that I’ll explain/share once I’m not caught up in my inner flow
- Don’t take my frustration or anger or impatience personally. It’s part of my learning and mastery process
- Trust and respect my instinctive response – it knows what it is truly correct for me
- Support and encourage my need to exercise – I need to burn my energy daily
- Understand:
I need to respond so I need to be asked
I need to practice to get it right
I’m a doer
I need to find the right work
I need to learn how to quit correctly
I might never want to retire
My work needs to support my passion
I’m not a team player by nature
I need to do many things at once
Time Bender Affirmation
I move faster than most people. My speed and ability to create many things simultaneously give me a unique perspective on getting things done on the planet. Because I have a lot of energy, I need a lot of movement to stay healthy and strong. It’s healthy for me to multitask; I need to do more than one thing at a time to move my energy. Not everything that I do will create the result that I’m envisioning. The purpose of multitasking is to burn off my extra energy. The things that are mine to complete and bring to the world will align with my inner sense of timing married with action. I am careful to let the people around me know what I am doing so that they can stand back and let me create at my own speed.
Contemplations for self-exploration:
-
- How do I manage my energy?
- Am I getting enough physical activity?
- What does my body feel like if I don’t move enough?
- What role does frustration play in my life? (see Emotional Signal)
- What frustrates me? (see Emotional Signal)
- How do I manage my frustration? (see Emotional Signal)
- What role does anger play in my life? (see Emotional Signal)
- What makes me angry? (see Emotional Signal)
- How do I manage my anger? (see Emotional Signal)
- Am I expressing my mastery?
- Am I settling for less?
- Is frustration keeping me from my masterful destiny?
- How do I feel about myself if I work on something that doesn’t work out the way I hoped?
- What can I do to be more gentle and self-accepting?