Time really does move quickly, and life gets busier by the day. The things I used to love doing I still love them. I just somehow can't find the time to do them all.

Take reading. There is something about getting lost in the pages of a book, the feeling of paper moving through my fingers, the ritual of turning from one page to the next that nothing else quite replaces. But somewhere along the way, that got swapped for audiobooks, because listening became the only way I could keep reading at all. And the irony? When I listen, I don't assimilate long enough to fully appreciate what I'm consuming. The words come in, but they don't land. It's like eating a meal on the go versus sitting down at a table long enough to take it all in the smell, the taste, the colors, the art of actually chewing and digesting and being fully present.

That's it. Presence.

Adulting has made me less present. Things keep moving, and as they say, time waits for no one. But what if I let myself slow down? What if I challenged myself to stop breezing through and actually be somewhere? Yes, that might mean doing less sometimes. But I believe I'll be more fulfilled for it. Because the joy of living is not simply existing it's the ability to live fully.

Even Christ said He came so I could have life. Not just life, but an abundant one. So why am I settling for existing? Why have I convinced myself that I don't have the power to choose the life I actually want, instead of the one my schedule handed to me?

I do have that power. And I don't need anyone's permission to use it.

I'm choosing to find joy in the little things again. Things like reading a book and actually sitting down with it, without the voice of guilt whispering that I could be doing something more productive. Habit stacking has become the rhythm of my days, and while that's worth celebrating, it should never come at the cost of the things that make me feel alive. The beauty of reading will not be lost. The beauty of writing, of getting lost in thought, of following an idea all the way through will not be lost.

I want to slow down in the middle of my busy life and reclaim the little joys that make it meaningful. Not someday. Starting today.