By Leland Pulley
Today it seems so many people are in a hurry. It is rush, rush, rush. They are going from one activity to another with little break in between. There is lots of impatience as people try to get what they want. It is easy to be self-centered and try to get what you want without considering the needs of others also. There is lots of unnecessary stress in the lives of too many people. To me this is all unnecessary and not wise living. Why not slow down a little and enjoy life more.
I know about being in a hurry because I used to be this way in some ways. While working in a major city 30 years ago, I found myself commuting to work about one hour each way. It would be a rush to the train station and then getting a seat rather than standing on the train. Once off the train in the city I would find myself walking fast to my office building. I was literally passing people on the sidewalk like I was going to a fire or was very anxious to be at work. It was not until a couple years later when I went through a period of unemployment that I really began to realize how foolish this all was. The clock slowed down a little during unemployment. I could see the commuters going down the busy highway close to my home, and it was then that I saw myself as one of those commuters in a hurry. This epiphany changed my life. No more walking fast on the sidewalk to get to work. No more driving over the speed limit needlessly. No more over scheduling myself so that everything had to work out just right or I would be late for an appointment or activity. Some free time should be left in between things in case something unexpected comes up or I am delayed for some reason. These small changes have been beneficial for me ever since.
There are many ways that people demonstrate they are in a hurry too much. For example, have you ever gone on errands and while there realized that you left something at home which you should have taken with you? I have done this. Why not slow down and get everything thought out before leaving home?
We often leave home a few minutes later than we should in order to reach a destination. We presume that the traffic patterns will be good and our car will operate well. Even then we will drive at least the speed limit or faster in order to reach our destination. Why not leave a few minutes early in case things do not work out well while in route?
Near my home there are several fast food places and banks. I usually go to the bank in the later afternoon hours. Between four and six p.m. I can see all the people going into fast food places and even more utilizing their drive through windows. I wonder if these people are not picking up dinner on the way home from work. How often do they do this instead of preparing meals at home? How did they survive without all the fast food places? Are they really in such a hurry that they have to depend upon these places? I am old enough to remember that fast food was a novelty or rare experience. Adults used to come home from work and eat meals prepared at home. Just something to consider folks the next time you grab dinner at a fast food place.
The news used to be something that you got from a newspaper or news magazine or over the radio. When TV began to show up in homes, news shows did not take up that much time, and certainly did not have as many young attractive women presenting the news. Now there is 24/7 news on several channels. It is on the Internet and available on cell phones. It seems like everyone has to know all the time what is going on, not only in their town or state or country, but in the world. Why is this really necessary? Unfortunately, people tend to get news in sound bites, or little bits or pieces of the information on a story, rather than taking the time to get in-depth coverage so they are more knowledgeable about what is happening and why. This is just another evidence of the fast-paced lifestyle that is being led by too many people.
Consider some of the ways that you are wise enough to slow down and live. Do you have time to visit family members or relatives? Do you make time to say hello to your neighbors and get to know a few of them. What about developing some personal friendships? Make time for other people in your life and enjoy it with them.
Often parents get so involved in their adult concerns that they inadvertently fail to focus sufficiently on their children. They do not take enough time to talk with their kids one-on-one. They do not attend an activity of a particular child nor sufficient activities of that child over the years. Remember, the quality of family life is improved with communication and sharing. Make time for these also.
Even your body deserves attention and should not be forgotten in your fast pace lifestyle. Make sure you are getting enough rest and sleep. Eat a good diet and get regular exercise. Have regular medical physicals. These are just a few ways that you demonstrate health is important and deserves time in your life.
I like to read and several others do too. It is relaxing and I learn. How much reading do you do? When was the last time you took a class in order to expand your mind and gain knowledge or work towards a degree?
There are people who have learned the secrets of meditation and prayer to receive inspiration and guidance in the decisions they make daily. I have done this and hope you are doing this too. It is another way of demonstrating that you have control of your life and are not so busy that important things are being neglected or left out.
There are other things like pursuing a hobby, or developing a skill. Even short trips and good vacations are beneficial. These all represent things that you like to do, and in the process of doing them, you gain fulfillment.
In essence modern-day living does not have to be full of rush, rush, rush. You do not have to be continually in a hurry, nor be impatient so much, nor allow stress to build up. I challenge you to consider the way you are living at this time and compare the ideas in this article to your lifestyle. Perhaps some improvements are in order.
Here are some things to consider. If the ideas expressed in this article apply to you, then ask yourself this question. Is being in a hurry something that is essential or necessary, or is it something that you allow to happen? In other words, who or what is in charge. Is it your environment and others or is it you? The answer is obvious. Just as I came to realize during my period of unemployment that some changes could occur for the better in my life, perhaps the same thing should occur in your life. After all, you are the one who is in charge of your time and the utilization of your talents and energy. So, review your life as you are currently living it and judge it at this point in time. Is there a need to get it more under control? If so, how would you go about doing this? When you come up with some ideas, set some goals for accomplishing this objective.
Remember, life is too short to rush through it without smelling the flowers along the way. It is little missed opportunities on a daily basis that can make such a difference in your life over the weeks, months, and years. So, make time to say hello, relax, help someone else, read from a good book, or say a prayer. As the years go by and you look back, you will be happy that you did many of these things. A life of hurry was replaced with a life of more enjoyment and satisfaction.
Key Words – hurry, rush, impatience, commuting to work, fast food places, news, time, other people, children, health, read, meditation and control, control, fulfillment, lifestyle, enjoyment
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