Love the Life That’s Happening Right Now

I recently came across a quote by Rupi Kaur that stopped me in my tracks:

“I will never have this version of me again. Let me slow down and be with her.”

*Slow down and be with her—with me.

I try to embrace this idea as often as possible—slowing down to be in my own moment. I

cherish my alone time, and I make an effort to carve it out whenever I can. Whether through a yoga class, a walk in nature, reading in bed, or sipping my once-a-week Friday martini, I do my best to romanticize the life I’ve created.

More often than not, my mindful moments are interrupted by the sound of my toddler hollerin’ as she wakes from yet another nap that seems to get shorter and shorter with each passing week— Oy vey.

When I do stop and reflect on everything I’ve done so far—considering the life I’ve lived, the places I’ve traveled, the people I’ve met, the family I’ve built, and the business I’ve created—I can’t help but feel proud of myself. And, honestly, a little impressed

Proud of myself… That’s not something I say nearly enough.

It’s easy to get swept up in the busyness of everyday life and forget to pause and reflect on all that we’ve accomplished.

I often hear people say, “How fast kids grow,” or “Soon enough, Luna will be going off to

college.” What?! She’s two!

During the holidays, it was “December came and went, and it’s already Christmas!” or “Gosh, this year flew by!”

Now that I’m a mom, I’ve experienced firsthand how time seems to speed up.

But have we ever considered that it’s not just that time flies—it’s how we handle the time we have? The truth is, we’re careless with it. We don’t treat it with the tenderness it deserves.

The American way is to rush through one thing just to get to the next, to jam-pack our schedules to ensure there’s no downtime. Our society’s fear of boredom might just be our undoing.

Do we really not realize how precious time is? How fleeting it is with the people we love?

It’s only when we lose someone we love that we turn to social media and post reminders tocherish life, because life is short, quick, and unfair, and we should hold our loved ones close.

Why must death be the only reminder that time is precious?

It’s because we move too fast to slow down. Because we have an endless, illuminated screen of other people’s lives that seem more interesting than our own.

But in truth, we all lead interesting lives with beauty hidden all over the place. We just move too quickly to notice at times.

Ferris Bueller once said, “Life goes by pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a

while, you could miss it.”

If we don’t stop—put down our phones, slow down—another year will slip by in the blink of an eye. And we’ll continue telling everyone how fast time goes. Boring.

Perhaps this is the year we all slow down and truly be with the versions of ourselves we are right now. And, acknowledge the incredible things, big and small, we have done along the way.

Give yourself permission to take the pressure off. Don’t over-plan. Be okay with not getting everything done (because you never will). Set boundaries, and cherish your time as if it were a delicate butterfly.

Indulge in downtime. Embrace it fully—and without any guilt.

I’ll leave you with a quote I think about often, especially when life seems to be moving a little too quickly for my liking:

“There is more to life than increasing its speed.” - Mahatma Gandhi

Stay cozy,

Lauren Massarella

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