Time is not linear.

A long-time friend and I were sitting in Alamo Square Park, catching each other up on our lives after several years. We reflected on the simultaneous rapidity of time and the truth that we are still young in this moment. Then she said those words to me: "time is not linear."

What did she mean by that? She clarified that a lot can happen in a short period of time.

We can live so much life on a compressed timeline.

I've thought about this in the context of reaching goals. It's easy to get caught up in seeing the long road. Sometimes, things take a long time. And sometimes, they don't. Perhaps there's value in being open to the idea that a lot can happen in a short time—that not everything requires years to unfold, and that the universe can surprise us.

This perspective is distinct from actively hoping or expecting things to happen quickly. It's more about cultivating an optimistic openness.

Even if our lives are short, remember: time is not linear. So much can happen in so little time.