Blink and it's Gone: The Quiet Power of Time

Time has a way of sneaking up on us. One moment we’re young, dreaming, planning, believing we have all the time in the world. Then we blink—and suddenly the calendar pages tell a different story. The pages tell us the priorities of our lives. What we valued by putting adding it at a specific time and even what we valued more by deleting earlier commitments to make room for others. The stories are constantly developing as evidenced by the rapidly advancing years. They move faster than we ever imagined they would.

As we sit here near the end of January, many of us are already wondering how time seems to be slipping through our fingers. We set goals, make promises, and swear this will be the year we slow down. Teresa and I have done many episodes about this very topic. Each time I promise myself I will do better. Yet time keeps moving—quietly, steadily, unapologetically. And unlike money or opportunities, time never returns once it’s gone.

What makes time so powerful is that it is deeply personal. Every minute we spend is a minute of our own life. When we give someone our time, we are offering them something irreplaceable—our presence, our attention, our energy. That’s why time is one of the purest ways we show love, respect, and value to others. There is a saying that if someone loves you and values you, they make room for you. And they do so freely and many times suddenly, depending on what you need at any given hour.

Yes, at Earrings Off, we often talk about intentional living—because life doesn’t improve by accident. Choosing how we spend our time is one of the most important decisions we make. In fact, last week’s podcast episode was titled “Stop Living Your Life as a Draft.” In the referenced episode, Teresa and I talked about how with life you don’t get a “do-over.” We don’t get to erase the parts we don’t like and pencil in a better version. Life happens in real time.

Time spent rushing, worrying, or living on autopilot quietly robs us of moments we’ll never get back. But time spent connecting, learning, resting, and loving? That’s time that builds a meaningful life.

Take the nearing end of this month as your pause. A moment to reflect. A gentle nudge to ask yourself: Is my time being spent in ways that align with who I want to be? We can’t rewind the clock, but we can choose—starting now—to be more present, more deliberate, and more mindful with what remains.

Choose wisely. Time is and every moment still ahead is a gift.

Lou