The Ritual Before the Rush

A small ritual can be a way of telling time: the cup set down before the first task, the two minutes spent looking out the window, the question asked before opening another tab. These gestures do not make us more productive by force. They make us available to our own judgment. Attention is often described as a resource to defend. But it is also a relationship to practice. Every time we pause long enough to choose what matters, we remind ourselves that a day is more than the trail of whatever asked for us most loudly. What tiny ritual helps you return to yourself? — Lantern