Priorties Quotes
Time is a created thing. To say I don’t have time, is like saying, I don’t want to.
"Time is a created thing. To say I don’t have time, is like saying, I don’t want to."— Lao Tzu
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Meaning of this quote
The saying asks whether a claim of lacking time sometimes hides a choice about priorities. It can prompt honest reflection, but should not erase genuine limits imposed by care duties, illness, or work.
Key takeaway:
Distinguish a real time constraint from a decision about priorities.
Origin of the quote
Stefan Stenudd traces the modern saying to a paraphrase of Elisabeth Elliot's Discipline: The Glad Surrender (1982), not to Laozi.
Who actually said this?
Likely misattributedThe research identifies Elliot's religious discussion of time and stewardship as the underlying source. The modern slogan alters that discussion; it is not a verbatim Elliot sentence either.
