This morning I decided to take the long way and it felt good so I thought I’d share in the hopes you decide to take the long way one day.
Now, nothing big, or in a life-changing way. Nothing dramatic happened. But something that tickled my fancy and encourage me to do it again.
My husband and I decided to divide and conquer school drop-off. He took our son since it’s closer to his job, and I took my daughter, Rylie. That simple decision gave me something I don’t always have in the mornings: Time.
About 30 extra minutes before I had to be at work.
As I pulled up to her school, I said,
“Rylie girl, I don’t know which way I’m going to take to work.”
She smiled, grabbed her things, and we went through our usual routine:
Have a good day. Stay confident. I love you.
Then she was in the pack with the rest of the group walking into the school building. And just like that, I had a moment of silence, peace, and being alone. Which I thoroughly enjoy.
The highway was right there. The fastest route. The usual route. The expected route. Right. But I had another thought, idea, and mood.
See, I’m at a place in my life where I don’t want to rush through moments just to get to the next one. I don’t want to live my days constantly trying to arrive somewhere. I don’t like to rush to get to anywhere, to do anything, or just be rushed period.
My gospel playlist was already playing and it was one of those mornings where every song was filling me up more and more. Joy. Peace. Praise.
(And yes, this is how we start our mornings. Every day, before we pull off, I tell my kids: “Let’s have some Jesus before we start our day.”)
On top of that, earlier that morning, I had listened to Joel Osteen talk about the importance of praise and how it shifts your mindset, your energy, your outlook.
And in that moment, sitting there with time on my hands and peace in my heart, I realized: I didn’t want to interrupt this feeling.
Taking the Long Way
So instead of getting on the highway…I went around. I took the long way. No rush. No pressure. Just me, my music, the sun, and space to breathe, think, just be, and sing as loud as I wanted to. Hello March 🌱 | A Gentle Reset, A Fresh Focus
And it felt good. Not just physically, but mentally, emotionally, spiritually.
There was something about choosing a different route that made me feel… present.
Like I wasn’t just moving through my day, I was actually in it. Ah the light bulb just went off. This is what they mean when they say being intentional. Got It. Noted.
When I finally pulled into the parking lot at work, I didn’t jump out of the car. I sat. Finished listening to my song. And I thought to myself: How different would our days feel if we all took the long way sometimes? https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GXKRV7T6
Taking the long way isn’t just about roads.
It’s about how we move through life.
We rush through conversations. We hurry past feelings. We push through days just trying to get to the end of them.
But what if we didn’t? What if we:
- Sat a little longer
- Felt a little deeper
- Paused before reacting
- Breathed before moving on
What if we gave ourselves permission to not rush everything?
Take the long way:
- Mentally—don’t skip over what you feel
- Emotionally—sit with your thoughts instead of avoiding them
- Spiritually—create space to connect, reflect, and reset
Because in that “extra time” we think we don’t have…there’s clarity, there’s peace, there’s you.
You don’t always have to take the fastest route. You don’t have to rush into every moment. You don’t have to live your life on autopilot. Sometimes, the most meaningful thing you can do…is take the long way.
RosalynLynn
Be you so you can be free.
