When life moves too fast, gain a new perspective on how to slow down and really enjoy life.
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Welcome to the Be Your Best Self Blog by Marsha Abbott.
"Some Things Don't Change."
When we look around at our life…. when we look at those habits or tendencies that are ingrained deep within us…. when we pay close attention to our daily activities…. it seems that one common theme always pops up. One common element of how almost all of us live our lives. So I am just going to say it like it is…
Some things don’t change.
And they don’t. When we get in our routine, when we develop those habits, it seems that these behaviors want to stick with us for life. And whether we like them or not…it seems to now become a part of who we are. And most days, we don’t even think to analyze them. It just is what has always been. And we learn to accept that.
And so yes, some things just never change…
Or do they?
A few months ago, on a Sunday morning, I woke up with the intention to start my normal routine. My schedule of feeding the dogs, starting the laundry, showering to get ready, heading to Starbucks for a drink, and then off to church for the 10:30 service. It’s a path I have followed for more Sundays than I can recall. And this schedule always seems to begin and end the same way…with me rushing around to fit more in than what I have time for.
Which means, I am usually running into Starbucks, tapping my foot till my drink comes, and then speeding to church, so I can make it in time to hear the wonderful music before the service. If the kids are with, I am typically yelling at them to hurry up. And then I complain the whole way to town that we probably won’t make it on time. Or we are all stressing that the Starbucks line will be too long to stop and get those favorite drinks of ours.
It turns a pleasant and joyful day into a stressful and rushed mess. Do you ever experience this? Do you ever feel like you are rushing everywhere you go? Do you ever feel you are hurrying your way through life?
Because I have to admit something, this isn’t just happening on Sunday. When I look at most days in my life, I am rushing from one thing to the next feeling overwhelmed as each minute passes me by. Always wondering if I can get one more thing done in the extra few moments I might have to spare. And that is the funny part…”a few moments I might have to spare.” Because really, I don’t have a spare minute…so all it really does is end up making me run late. It’s the story of my life. It’s the habit I am least proud of. And it’s the one thing that never seems to change. It just is what has always been…well that is, until this particular Sunday, a few months ago.
That day started off like all of the others…me trying to cram too much into my morning before church. But this time, I ended up getting stuck behind a car that was traveling about 10 miles per hour less than the allowed speed limit. This may not seem that slow, but in times like this, it felt like I am crawling to my destination. I literally felt, in that moment, that I can run faster than this car was driving.
And as soon as I thought I was going to dodge them for the second leg of my trip, they turn at the exact same stop light that I have to turn at. Boy was I frustrated, and it felt like my heart was going to beat right out of my chest. Didn’t they know that I needed to get to church? Didn’t they realize I was on a time crunch? And as these thoughts were swirling around in my head, I could just feel that road rage coming on….
But then suddenly, and for whatever reason, something came over me. I started thinking about it from their perspective, and here is what I realized…. this person wasn’t in a rush. Instead, maybe they were just out for a Sunday stroll. Maybe they were relaxed after a nice weekend and were just trying to enjoy the day. And they most likely weren’t like me…trying to fit too much into their already tight schedule. And it certainly isn’t their fault that I was doing exactly that…on this beautiful Sunday morning.
It was in that moment that I started to reflect on my habits and how bad they have become over the years. My life was turning out to be exactly what Alabama sings to us about in their song called, “I’m in a Hurry.” The lyrics always stand out to me when this song plays: “I’m in a hurry to get things done. I rush and rush until life’s no fun. All I really got to do is live and die, but I’m in a hurry and don’t know why.”
Alabama is so right…life really isn’t fun when I choose to live it in such a way that has me rushing through life. When I choose to take this bad habit and just live with it as if it will always be this way…simply because it has always been. Because some things don’t change…and that is what I always believed.
Well not anymore…not this time.
I decided enough is enough. Life moves fast enough without me choosing to drive it in the fast lane. Instead, I am choosing from here on out to slow down. To stop and enjoy some of the small moments in life. Those moments are just as important as the big ones.
As you reflect on your journey, what does it look like? Does life seem to be passing you by as you rush to get everything done? When is the last time you just stopped and enjoyed each moment as you lived it? How amazing would this “ride” be if we could all choose to do that moving forward?
So yes, I realize we all get stuck in our routines. We all get stuck in the same habits and daily activities. And more often than not, we choose to live this way simply because…it has always been that way. But enough is enough. It’s time to analyze how we are truly living our life… how we are choosing to live it. If you are with me on this…if you too are driving continuously in the fast lane of life, let’s slow down to just breath in those moments around us. Let’s learn to appreciate every single second we are given in this world. Because while some things never do change, this is one that absolutely should.
*For those of you struggling with something in life or have a topic of interest that you want me to talk about in this blog, email me at BeYourBestSelfBlog@gmail.com. Let’s work together to Be Our Best Selves!