Time Scarcity and the Practice of Trust

Lately, I’ve been confronting an unexpected scarcity mindset—not around money or success, but around time—and what it reveals about purpose, presence, and trust.

There’s been something on my mind for weeks now. I've wanted to write about it, to share it here with you, and yet, I kept waiting for the right moment. But there was always something else demanding my attention. And maybe that’s exactly the point.

As an optimist, an idealist, and someone who’s worked hard to embrace a growth mindset, I recently came up against something unexpected. A part of me that still operates from scarcity. Not scarcity around resources or opportunity but around time.

It surprised me. After all the inner work, how had I ended up here again?

And perhaps that’s exactly why I’ve hesitated to write this. I haven’t solved it. I’m still sitting with the discomfort. But maybe this is the invitation—to bring the question here, into this space, and explore it with others walking similar paths.

Because the truth is, I had a scarcity mindset when it comes to time.

I worry I won’t have enough of it with the people I love. My daughter is growing so quickly. Her childhood unfolding in real time before my eyes. With my husband, our days are threaded with co-parenting, co-working, co-living and while we share so much, the time we carve out just for each other never feels like enough. And my parents, now approaching (and surpassing) their seventies, live across the Atlantic. I visit twice a year, and every time I leave, I wonder: Is this really enough? Am I really showing up the way I want to?

Then there’s the time I long to give myself. Time to sleep deeply. To read. To move slowly. To meditate regularly, to walk, to create. My workdays are short and packed. I sprint through them, trying to stay on top of everything, often falling short. There’s a whole body of work I want to build at the intersection of my professional and personal passions, and yet I’ve barely started.

On top of all this lives the pressure of abstract timelines—those invisible expectations about when things should happen. I was the youngest in my class growing up, and my mom used to call me a late bloomer. Maybe I am. I tend to figure things out long after others have seemingly already arrived. And though I’ve mostly made peace with my pace, some days it still feels like I’m behind.

This sense of time scarcity both propels me and paralyzes me.

It motivates me to live with intention—to show up for my daughter every morning, even when we’d both rather stay curled up in bed. To keep trying when things don’t go as planned. To keep adjusting, keep reassessing, keep moving.

But when that drive tips into force—when I’m muscling my way through life—it starts to feel like I’m swimming upstream. What once felt like purpose becomes pressure. My trust in the bigger picture begins to erode. I find myself trying to bend time to my will, to control what was never mine to control.

And in those moments, I wonder:

Is all this striving bringing me closer to the life I want or pulling me further away?

Because underneath the to-do lists and the busyness, there’s a quieter voice asking something deeper:

What if my only real purpose is to love and be loved?

What if that’s it?

If that’s true, then maybe the deadlines and milestones and outward achievements are just noise. Maybe the real work is presence. Attention. Connection.

And if I let that truth guide me—if I really trust it—something inside me softens.

So where does that leave me?

It leaves me with trust.

Not the passive kind, where I wait and wish, but a deep, active trust. A trust that I am already living in my purpose. That my wildest dreams are unfolding in perfect time. That I am safe and guided. That I will arrive exactly where I’m meant to be—and leave when the time is right.

And that the space between those arrivals and departures, the ordinary days, the quiet in-betweens, will always be more than enough.

Because the truth is, we can’t control time. It slips through our fingers no matter how tightly we try to hold it. But we can choose how we show up inside it—with presence, with purpose, with love.

A quote from an affirmation card I drew recently landed deeply with me:

"Ich entscheide mich, geduldig zu sein und dem Timing meines Lebens zu vertrauen. Dein Leben ist wie ein Fluss: mal schnell, mal langsam, stets vorwärts. Was für dich bestimmt ist, kommt zur rechten Zeit. Vertraue dem Rhythmus und genieße den Weg."

Translated:

"I choose to be patient and to trust the timing of my life. Your life is like a river: sometimes fast, sometimes slow, always moving forward. What is meant for you will come at the right time. Trust the rhythm and enjoy the journey."

So that’s where I’m landing today. Not with answers, but with trust.
And maybe that’s enough.

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About Meghan Opitz

I am the hero of my own epic journey, sharing authentic stories of hope, growth, and resilience through the lens of the modern woman. This space is where humor meets real-life moments, offering reflections on navigating life’s complexities, embracing inner strength, and uncovering joy in the everyday.

As an American expat who has called Berlin home for nearly a decade, I bring a unique perspective on bridging US and European markets. I specialize in unlocking potential and creating connections that drive success on both sides of the Atlantic, offering fresh insights that blend cultural understanding with actionable strategies.

Learn more about me on my website, and let’s connect on LinkedIn.

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