Today, I made a radical decision as a New Yorker: I didn’t run for the earlier train. Shocking, I know. Normally, I would sprint, heart pounding, lungs gasping, asthma wheezing, just to save a mere 15 minutes. But today, I chose differently.

Picture this: I stood on the platform, the earlier train taunting me with its imminent departure. I could have forced myself to run, risking an asthma attack and a sore back just to board a train that would get me home a few minutes earlier. But instead, I stopped, took a breath, and let it go.

Those 15 minutes I would have spent panting and regretting my life choices were instead spent decompressing. I grabbed a seat, opened my news app, and started scrolling. The world is still as chaotic as ever, but somehow, reading about it with a calm mind felt less overwhelming.

And then, a miraculous thing happened. I opened my notes app and started writing. I haven’t written in a while, life’s relentless pace often leaving little room for reflection. But today, in those stolen moments, words flowed. Thoughts about slowing down, about the insanity of our constant rush, about how maybe, just maybe, taking a breather could be more productive than constantly chasing the clock.

By the time the next train arrived, I felt a little more human, a little less like a hamster on a wheel. Sometimes, it’s not about how fast we can go, but about the quality of the journey. Today, I reminded myself that it’s okay to pause, to breathe, and to give my mind and body the rest they desperately need.

So here’s to not running for trains, to finding peace in those extra 15 minutes, and to the little moments of sanity we can carve out in our busy lives. Trust me, it’s worth slowing down just a little bit.