THE GIFT OF TIME
Image Source: mandylin (Unsplash)
"Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away". - Vicki Corona.
For the last two weeks, I have been getting my nightly dose of the 2026 Olympics. Before arriving in Milan-Cortina, the athletes had dedicated thousands of hours in preparation to earn a spot on their respective country’s team and a chance to win an Olympic medal. Not all will win a chance to be on the podium, but the breath-taking moments they give to viewers are awe-inspiring. So, how did they arrive on the international stage? Through grit, determination, and tenacity, they honored the gift of time that made it possible.
Time. So fleeting, and there does not seem to be enough hours in the day to accomplish our daily goals. In a recent sermon, the pastor of my parish spoke about the gift of time. He pointed to the countless hours we might spend scrolling through our social media feeds, leaving us little time to attend to the business of living our daily lives. He concluded his talk with an invitation to step away from the world's noise and contemplate how we can do the best we can with the time we have on this Earth. Tomorrow is not granted to anyone; therefore, make the best of finding your true north.
According to the Study Country website, “When you find your true north, you discover your authentic self. It's a combination of your purpose and your beliefs. You decide what you value most in life and put that at the forefront. Once you're aware of this inner sense, you're one step closer to answering your calling.” (2026). In the case of US Olympic Gold medalists Alysa Liu and Alex Ferreira, they found their true north in the following ways. Alysa (figure skating) embraced the noise of the world, and in her head, she let go of it to become grounded on her way to the gold medal. Alex (halfpipe skiing) used every moment of his waking and sleeping hours to visualize himself standing on the podium with a gold medal draped around his neck - and it worked. Both athletes dedicated themselves to the moments that take our breath away. So, how can we find our true north?
As a human race, we spend many hours scrolling through social media feeds that use algorithms to hook our attention. Most of what we see is good stuff, but often it is an outlet to speak without a clear purpose, as we lash out at others who do not share our worldview. In other words, these activities divert us from our true north. One tool we can use to course correct is a vision board.
A vision board is a collage of pictures, affirmations, or symbols that helps us to focus, clarify, and manifest our goals. We can create vision boards that represent a timeline for a single year or how we envision our true north years out (five, ten, and beyond). You can use a posterboard and pictures (cut from magazines) that are glued to the board. In a class I recently attended, I created a vision board using Microsoft Co-Pilot, which I will share in this blog post. My board represents how I will share yoga in a peer support setting for first responders, military/veterans, and those in recovery programs. I invite you to do your own research on how to create a vision board on your way to finding your true north while honoring the gift of time.
Author’s Vision Board
A few years ago, I attended a yoga class where the instructor shared the following reading that I invite you to anchor into as you move towards your authentic self:
“A beautiful life is not stumbled upon, it is built.
It is chosen. It is nurtured over the years.
A beautiful life is made from the heart, not the head.
It is not one we can rationalize our way into, it's one that must be felt.
A beautiful life is not one that is immediately comfortable,
but one grown through the acknowledgement of what is worth being
uncomfortable for.
It is not one that is easy, but it is one that is worth it.
A beautiful life is composed of the things our 90-year-old selves
would have wished we'd done with the years in which we were so young
but did not realize, before the decades piled up and passed us by
and we came to realize how little time even the luckiest among us have.
It is made of all the whispered prayers they'd have for us as they looked back,
the same way we imagine our younger selves now and wish we could impart
and instill so much guidance, so often leaning in the direction of -
go where your heart already calls you, move towards the truth you already know.”
Until next time -
Namaste,
Tim
References
https://www.studycountry.com/wiki/what-is-a-persons-true-north Retrieved on February 21st, 2026.