This weekend, Mark and I stayed in a tiny house surrounded by trees. We unplugged (no screens, news, TV, or social media). We read books. We walked for hours around a lake, not trying to get anywhere, just enjoying the day and each other’s company. We reset our internal compass.

This tiny house was really tiny (think studio apartment). We needed to get away—different scenery, change in routine, nourishing activity—yet when I booked the Airbnb, I doubted my decision: “What if there’s not enough space? What if we become even more stir-crazy?”

Interestingly, the small space invited intention, awareness, and belonging. It was a giant hug from our better nature and innate goodness. It reminded me how simple life can be. The pandemic turns ordinary decisions into exhausting mental dialogues. In a strange paradox, this pandemic forces us to simplify (schedules, events, social groups), which we don’t like(!), yet moments of ease only come when we find more simplicity within our homes, minds, and hearts.

I’ve noticed in myself a new feeling of “not enough time.” Life is hard right now. I want to help people! I want to be of service. I want to find meaning. So, I’m scrambling, thinking there’s not enough time, when there’s all the time in the world. Time is abundant. We’re in a societal pause. It’s okay to rest and reflect. It’s okay to intentionally simplify. And it’s okay to dream, create, choose, change, hope, and soar.