The Years Go Anyway: What Time Is Trying to Teach Us

Think about who you were one year ago.

What was keeping you up at night? What were you chasing? What mattered so much then that barely crosses your mind now?

Now go back three years.

The person you were, the goals you had and even the way you viewed the world were likely very different.

It is strange to think that in another three years, the version of yourself reading this article will probably look back at today and feel the exact same way.

That realization raises an interesting question: If we are constantly changing, what role does timing play in our lives?

Whether it is a career opportunity, a friendship or a romantic relationship, many of us have wondered if timing is everything. We have heard the phrase "right person, wrong time," but is that actually true? Or does time reveal who and what truly belongs in our lives?

According to the National Institutes of Health, our experience of time is far more subjective than many people realize.

Psychologists define time perception as our personal experience of how quickly or slowly time seems to pass. While a minute is always 60 seconds, our brains do not experience every minute the same way.

Time can seem to fly during exciting moments and drag during periods of boredom or uncertainty. Researchers believe emotions, attention and novelty all influence how we perceive time.

This may explain why childhood summers felt endless while adulthood seems to move at lightning speed.

Some researchers suggest that new experiences create richer memories, making periods of growth feel longer and more significant when we look back on them. As we age and settle into routines, fewer experiences feel novel, which may contribute to the feeling that time is speeding up.

Maybe time is not actually moving faster.

Maybe we are simply changing slower.

The ancient Greeks had an interesting perspective on time. Historians and philosophers often distinguish between "chronos," which refers to measurable, sequential time, and "kairos," which refers to the opportune or meaningful moment for action.

In other words, they understood something many of us still struggle with today.

Not all moments carry the same weight.

A single conversation can change the course of a life. One opportunity can alter a career. One difficult season can completely reshape a person's character.

This brings us back to the question of timing.

Is there really such a thing as the right person at the wrong time?

The older I get, the more I wonder if the question is backwards.

What if timing is not an obstacle to overcome but information to pay attention to?

If two people meet and one is not emotionally available, not ready to commit or not willing to grow, perhaps that timing is not separate from the relationship. Perhaps it is part of the relationship.

After all, who we are today is not who we were three years ago.

Marcus Aurelius frequently wrote about accepting reality as it exists rather than resisting it. Aristotle emphasized the importance of virtue developed through consistent action, while Plato encouraged the pursuit of truth and wisdom. Although their philosophies differed, each believed that personal growth requires intentional reflection and a willingness to engage with reality as it is.

That perspective has changed the way I think about timing.

Instead of asking whether life is happening too slowly or too quickly, I have started asking a different question:

What is this season trying to teach me?

Time cannot be saved, paused or negotiated with. Every person on

Earth receives the same 24 hours each day.

What differs is how we use them.

The next time you find yourself wishing you had met someone sooner, found an opportunity earlier or figured things out faster, remember this:

The version of you reading this today is not the final version.

Three years from now, you may discover that what felt like bad timing was actually preparation.

And sometimes the greatest gift time gives us is perspective.

What are your thoughts on timing?

Join the conversation by leaving a comment below or sharing this article with someone who may need the reminder that growth often happens right on time.