Sometimes, we treat time like a thief that sneaks into our lives and steals our peace, leaving us feeling rushed and overwhelmed. We often find ourselves sighing, saying, I simply don't have enough hours in the day, as if time is an external force beyond our control. But Lao Tzu offers us a profound shift in perspective. He suggests that time isn't just something that happens to us; it is something we shape with our choices. When we say we don't have time, what we are really saying is that we haven't found a way to make that specific thing a priority. It is a gentle, albeit challenging, way of looking at our own intentions and where we place our energy.

Think about those little moments that seem to vanish into the void of a busy schedule. We all have that one friend or family member we promise to call, or that book sitting on the nightstand gathering dust, or even just the desire to sit quietly with a cup of tea. We tell ourselves we will do these things when the schedule clears, but the schedule rarely clears on its own. We often use the lack of time as a convenient shield to protect us from the effort or the vulnerability that comes with making a real change. It is much easier to blame the clock than to admit we are choosing other, perhaps less meaningful, distractions instead.

I remember a time when I felt completely swamped with my writing projects and felt like I couldn't possibly find a moment to just sit and breathe. I was constantly checking my watch, feeling like a tiny duck caught in a whirlpool of deadlines. One afternoon, I realized that I actually had twenty minutes of stillness right in front of me, but I was choosing to spend it scrolling through endless, meaningless news feeds. I was telling myself I didn't have time for rest, when in reality, I was just refusing to give myself permission to stop. Once I acknowledged that my lack of time was actually a lack of intention, I could finally reclaim those small, precious pockets of peace.

As you move through your week, I want to invite you to look closely at your calendar and your heart. Instead of looking for where time has gone, look at where you are choosing to place it. Are there small, beautiful things you are pushing aside because you feel too busy? Today, try to find just five minutes to do something that truly matters to you, something that feeds your soul. Remember, you have the power to create the space you need; you just have to decide that it is worth the effort.