As I drove through the city, I wanted to retrieve an item from a bag in the passenger seat. I found myself hoping that one of the traffic lights would turn red to give me an opportunity to take my eyes off the road.

The thought that followed was a bit of self-admonition. “What’s wrong with you? If you want to stop, stop. You don’t need a traffic light to prompt the pause.”

How easily we get caught up in the movement of the system. How easily we find ourselves running because everyone around us is running.

But we don’t need the system’s permission to adjust our pace. We don’t.

When we need to pause, we can make that choice ourselves.