Every day I’m walking to work nowadays I find that I have been rushing slightly more than usual. All of the things I have to do for work, and all of my self-imposed expectations draw my attention from what I’m really doing at this very moment: walking to work. I am constantly lost in existential conversations of am I doing enough? am I doing the right thing? did I say the wrong thing? or it’s the self-deprecation born from my almost automatic habit of pulling out my phone at the hint of boredom. When there’s a lot going on in your life, or not much at all, it can be both a blessing and a burden. Your internal dialogue can be swamped with stress, anxiety, subdued thoughts, or fear. The culmination of these emotions has us trapped in a place somewhere far away from where are feet are right now.
It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live — Dumbledore
At the very cultural level of society there is a burning pressure to do more, to achieve more, to be somewhere else, to be somewhere better. We get so caught up in the relentless chase for success that we fail to appreciate what is right in front of us. Even after the fact, you might ask yourself: where has all the time gone?
*Ryan Reynolds when asked about raising his four kids:
Nothing will ever be clean or tidy again. Not until they all leave the house. When they’re all gone. But my wife always says: they’re all under our roof right now. We have them all. That is a fleeting thing. But what you would give, in 30 or 40 years to be in this exact moment.*
Stop Rushing
Here are two things that I know to be true:
Focusing so much on the future reduces the time you perceive to spend in the present
You will never be younger then how old you are at this very moment
If we accept that both are true, then there is simply no time to waste worrying about your to-do lists, the projects that are finishing, the projects that are starting, what other people are saying, what other people are doing, or what you could have or should have said until you are in a position to act upon it. The present is calling forth to you right now and worrying about what is to come is not your task. Maybe what you should be doing is being exactly where you are: in the here and now.
If you’re walking to work, slow down just a little bit. Really try to feel the interesting feeling of being intentional about the speed you’re walking at. If you’re with the people that you love, just stop for a second and appreciate who you have around you. Even if it is the taste of the first coffee in the morning, when the sun shines down on you on the weekend, when you catch the bus you thought you would miss or when the air you breath is fresh and cool, stop rushing.
A happy man is too satisfied with the present to dwell on the future — Albert Einstein
Always remind yourself that where we are now is right where we are supposed to be. The past is hilariously unchangeable and the future will come when it does. Be in the here and now, and appreciate it as much as you can.
What are you rushing towards?
Just Something To Consider.
Also, stop multi-tasking.
🔗 Sources
Holiday, R. The Present Moment Is All You’ve Got. https://dailystoic.com/the-present-moment-is-all-youve-got/