Non-Linear Time

Hello friend – it’s Miriam 👋🏻

Welcome to this week’s Ikigami Insider!

What if time isn’t what we think it is?
And what if your underwear could inspire you?

Stay with me.

We live as if time is linear—moving forward in neat, predictable steps. But what if life isn’t a straight line? What if meaning isn’t found in big milestones but in the small, overlooked details that shape how we feel, choose, and live—right now?

Like your underwear.

Let’s dive in.

Intuition: What If Meaning Lies in the Smallest Details?

Here’s an intimate question: Do you wear underwear that excites YOU?
Not for others. Not for practicality. But because every time you put them on, they spark joy.

Sounds trivial? Maybe. But life is built in layers, and Ikigai isn’t just about the “big” purpose—it’s about aligning every little thing with what fulfills you.

Hack 1: Start noticing the tiny choices that affect your energy.
- What do you wear, eat, surround yourself with?
- Do these things reflect who you truly are?

Intelligence: You Have 4,000 Weeks. Make Them Count.

The average life span: 4,000 weeks.

This number shifted everything for me.

Last night, I finally hung my vision board. Just looking at it fuels me.

Because when you see time for what it is—finite, fleeting, precious—you stop waiting. You start choosing.

Hack 2: Ask yourself, What am I putting off for ‘someday’ that actually matters now? 
- Quitting that draining job?
- Calling someone you love?
- Saying the thing that needs to be said?

Integrity: Time Is Not Linear. Presence Is Power.

Linear time is an illusion. The only real moment is this one.

Ikigai teaches us to break free from the "one day" mindset with radical mindfulness.
Not tomorrow. Not next year. Now.

Hack 3: Reset your compass. Choose with intention.
- What’s one thing you refuse to put off any longer?
- What’s one small detail you can shift—today—to align with what truly matters?

Reflection in Verse

You count days,
but the days don’t count you.

They move like water,
slipping through fingers,
never waiting, never stopping,
never asking for permission.

There is no later.
No perfect moment.
Only now—
folded into now—
folded into now.

What will you do with it?

Thumbnail Photo of Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

3 Recommended Readings

Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman – A powerful reminder that our time is finite, and how we use it changes everything.

The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down by Haemin Sunim – A beautiful guide to mindfulness, presence, and slowing down in a fast-paced world.

Wabi Sabi: Japanese Wisdom for a Perfectly Imperfect Life by Beth Kempton – A deep dive into the Japanese philosophy of embracing imperfection, transience, and the beauty of the present moment.

A Question for You

What’s one thing you refuse to put off any longer?

Let me know—I’d love to hear.

With clarity and courage,
Miriam