What's the rush?

Did you see it?!

You missed it. You did a graceful dance trying to avoid that shopping cart. It almost hit you though. I get it you were on the phone. You were running late for that meeting or whatever. 

And then..

You had the audacity to leave your mocha latte on top of your car. You were on your phone. I get it. Mistakes happen. Luckily, you will make your meeting on time, but then you have a meeting right after that. 

One thing after another. 

Left, right, left. 

Day after day. 

Barely time for yourself.

Or is there?.....

So what's the rush?! 

You say you have no time. 

You say you are simply "too busy". 

They tell us that we must "make time" in order to make "room" for the things we "want" to do. Some of this is partially true. Most of it is just a stale platitude of ignorance. 

Why are we so rushed? 

Is it the demands of modern society? 

Is it the hustle and bustle of trying to earn a living whole balancing our lifestyle and commitments? 

Where's the time for us to breathe? 

We compartmentalize our different activities in life. 

Work, gym, commute time, sleep, home time, showering, couch time, outside time and so on and so on. 

We are fleshy automatons rushing from one "Do" to the next. Rightly so. We are satisfying the mind. Keeping it occupied. Keeping us in a storm of compulsive thought. Keeping us from sllloowwinngg doooowwwnnn. 

Keeping us occupied and suppressing the problems we are avoiding. We promise that we will get around to them. When we simply "have time". Well, where is that time? When is it going to come? Will that time come at the perfect time? 

It's probably better to do it later....or not. 

One A to B. We never appreciate or truly experience A because we have already mentally checked out of A and moved onto B. On to the next one. The next stimulation. The next seeking of comfort. The next task that will get us closer to the couch, the television, the internet..

We make ourselves dogs looking forward to the treat at the end of the day. 

We deserved it right? 

Now we can be lazy, check out, escape all the while just putting the trudgery of the day behind us. No reflection or lessons, only a tired mind in a tired body. 

We pride ourselves in multitasking. 

"I'm getting more done." Look at me go. I'm checking off tasks like a soldier. 

Some of the half assed things we do frustrate it. We only focus on trying to get them done. Understandable. We prioritize productivity over presence. We hit those reward centers in our brains as if we were rats in a lab study. 

What happens when we prioritize presence over productivity? 

What happens when we simply focus on one thing at a time? 

This whole idea of things being difficult and daunting comes from the inability to be present. When you are at ease with the moment, you can be totally with what you are doing and you can be at your own pace. No rushing. No focusing on simply finishing something. 

Trust in the process. 

Flow with it. Those problems that arise are designed for you to pay attention to. To experience. To learn from. 

Breathe and act with ease.

 

Accept that the task is giving you a challenge. Don't worry about what you will have for dinner. It's not that time yet. If you take a step a time, everything will flow with your presence and attention. 

Who cares what your friend said about you last night.

Who cares that you need to pay your electric bill tonight. 

Be with what is.

Hammer that nail at the pace you need to go. The pace that arises from being with what you are "doing". 

Breathe with the action. 

Recenter.

The rush is merely an illusion. 

DG