This time of year always sneaks up on me. One moment, the days are long and lazy, filled with that summer looseness where schedules blur and time feels slower. And then suddenly, almost without warning, life is moving at full speed again. The start of August has always felt a bit like stepping onto a spinning merry-go-round—you climb on, and before you even find your footing, the world is whipping past in a blur of commitments, school calendars, work deadlines, and endless to-do lists.
For a long time, I thought the only way to catch my breath was to wait for life to slow down. I would tell myself, “Once things calm down, I’ll feel better. Once this project is over, once the kids settle into school, once the season changes, then I’ll feel steady again.” But here’s the truth I’ve had to learn the hard way: life rarely slows down on its own. If anything, it has a way of getting faster. There’s always another obligation, another season of busy waiting around the corner.
And so I’ve started to understand that if I want stillness, I have to create it. If I want to feel grounded, I have to choose it—intentionally and imperfectly—even when the whirlwind is spinning at full force around me.
Some days, that looks like something small. A deep breath before walking into a meeting, reminding myself that I don’t have to carry the whole world on my shoulders in that moment. Other days, it’s stealing five quiet minutes outside, tilting my face toward the sun or letting my bare feet sink into the grass as a way of silently telling my body, You’re here, you’re safe, you’re not just a passenger being tossed around by your schedule.
I’m also learning the power of grace—for myself and for others. There will be days when I get completely swept up by the whirlwind, when I’m short-tempered, distracted, or juggling so many things that I forget to enjoy any of them. There will be days I drop the ball or feel like I’m failing at balance. And that’s okay. What matters most isn’t perfection; it’s that I find my way back.
When I do find my way back, I notice something powerful: the world around me doesn’t necessarily get calmer, but I do. And from that place, I can see things more clearly. I can make better choices about what deserves my time and energy. I can actually enjoy the life I’m working so hard to build, instead of rushing through it on autopilot.
This week, I’m asking myself a simple but profound question: What anchors me when life feels unsteady? Sometimes it’s a morning ritual—making my coffee slowly, without my phone in my hand. Other times it’s a quick text or call to someone who always seems to know how to lift me up. And sometimes it’s just pausing for long enough to ask myself, What actually matters most right now? and letting the rest go.
Because the truth is, the whirlwind will always be there in some form. But we get to decide whether we let it toss us around or whether we plant our feet and find those small but powerful moments of stillness.
What about you? When life speeds up and you feel like you’re barely hanging on, what helps you stay grounded? Is it a person, a ritual, a mindset shift? Whatever it is, I hope you give yourself permission to lean on it this month—and to remember that you’re not alone in trying to stand still in the whirlwind.
