Time

Step one: look up to the sky. Step two: choose a celestial body. Step three: find the horizon. Step four: use the lenses of the instrument to align both visual inputs. Step five: note the time of the observation. Step six: determine latitude.

Since nothing in the ocean is static – either above or below the surface – time is an important input of navigation calculations. An indispensable input, when using a telescope to measure angles to ascertain location.

Our daily life is not that dissimilar to this process: we take in our outer (or inner) surroundings, choose our point of view (our angle), and chart our course accordingly. When our vessel is joyously unimpeded, or when we are intent on reaching a special destination, we may feel like time accelerates or cannot wait for time to pass. On the other hand, when our sky is clouded, or we are surrounded by tall waves, time feels eternal.

When we remember our past, evaluate our present, or anticipate our future, the lenses of our experience often assign subjective attributes to time. Optimism can shape our perception of time and help us adapt our emotional responses.