The other day I overheard a conversation at the bank about how much faster time seems to go as we get older. The conversation ended with the comment that it's really a matter of whether or not we are slowing down to notice our daily lives, not a question of age. It surprised me to hear that said outside of a yoga studio--or my office--but the message was a nice reminder and exactly what I needed to hear at that moment.
The rest of the day I found myself thinking about what it is that makes each day seem so long when we're children. It's not necessarily that children have less structure or stress than adults, but that as children we have less awareness of time passing, of the future and the past. When we are more fully present to the moment, as children tend to be, we feel like there is plenty of time for everything we want and need to do. As we gain more awareness of the past and the future, it becomes increasingly difficult to stay in the present moment.
One of my favorite ways to reconnect to the present moment is to be intentionally more child-like. This means more playfulness, curiosity, and permission to take naps as needed. It means more giggling, sit-down snacks, and wide-eyed wonder. It also makes it a lot harder to have anything but a good day. Even when things get rocky, they're easier to handle in a child-like state of mind.
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