"
Personal mastery is the discipline of continually clarifying and deepening our personal vision, of focusing our energies, of developing patience, and of seeing reality objectively." Peter Senge, The Fifth Discipline
Hurry Up!
- Do
you suffer from hurry sickness? Are you always feeling rushed and worrying
you're missing out on opportunities or letting others down because you're
rushing to get things done but are always one step behind?
- Do
you sometimes feel discombobulated, like you just can't figure out how to
keep up with everything no matter how hard you try—leaving you flustered
and tired?
- Do
you continue to feel rushed long after there is any need?
I don't know about
you, but I tend to push myself to achieve imaginary deadlines that only I—or
more correctly my deep unconscious—knows what that deadline is.
I may not have
a severe case of hurry sickness, but I do find myself rushing to pick up speed
and save a few minutes so I can get there faster. The problem is I'm not sure
where 'There' is.
I've Got Good News
and Bad News
This dilemma is
illustrated in the story of an airline pilot who comes on the loudspeaker to
chat with her passengers.
"Good morning ladies and gentlemen. I hope your ride
has been smooth. I have some good news and some bad news. The good news is
we're making great time; the bad news is we're lost."
What Goes Up Must
Come Down
Sure there are times in our lives when we must function at top
speed to achieve specific goals and meet real deadlines. But why do we continue
rushing at high speed even when we don't need to anymore?
As the Chicago song
says, 'What goes up must come down' --and that includes the frenetic speed and
stress that goes up when we're rushing to meet those real deadlines. A constant
state of hyperactivity and hurry sickness isn't good for any of us.
To get where we
want to get in life we must slow down and rest the mind so we know what we want
and how to get there.
Nature Does Not
Hurry, Yet Everything is Accomplished
'Nature does not
hurry, yet everything is accomplished' said Lao Tzu, sage from 6th century
BC. Grass does not try to grow. Water does not try to flow. Flowers do not try
to bloom. They just do. There is no hurry in plant time, just the simple flow
of life in the right time.
So pull back, quiet
your mind, and allow the simple flow of your life to happen in the right time.
Children grow up. People find mates. People find fulfilling jobs. Roads and
bridges get built. Communities heal. Hurts heal.
Stop hurrying to
build that bridge to nowhere. It'll still be available to work on later if you
really must. But chances are, going forward with a stilled mind; you won't see
the need to busy yourself with going nowhere. With a cleared mind and an open
heart your life will be cleared for things of importance--and the universe will
unveil all its secrets to you in the right time.
Slow Down, Still
Your Mind
Lao Tzu also said, 'To the mind that is still, the whole
universe surrenders.' While we would like to think we are smarter, wiser,
and much more advanced than those who lived centuries before us, so much
timeless wisdom written centuries ago still speaks to us as if it was written
today.
When you catch yourself with a case of hurry sickness, practice
mindfulness, and apply the wisdom that came to us from so long ago. Stop.
Adjust. Breathe. Relax. Still your mind. Accomplish your dreams.
What have you been in too big a hurry to slow down to enjoy or take time to do?
- Call family and friends to enjoy a leisurely chat.
- Reach out and help a friend in need.
- Dream.
- Discover opportunities in Chaos.
- Engage in flow activities.
- Still your mind and calm your heart.
Give yourself the gift of time--unclutter your life, still your mind and learn to find your opportunities through the chaos of life.
Apply What You Know
Why not follow in the footsteps of one person who has stepped in to still his mind and get more out of his life? Here's how one person has applied what he knows:
Here's
my publicly stated goals and guiding thoughts for 2013 based on some hard
lessons learned in 2012 --Sean Royce Gibbons.
-Say what you mean.
-Reach out to people in need of help.
-Dream bigger.
-Find opportunity in chaos.
-Clutter free space gives room to imagine.
-Home is where you build it.
-Anything can go on a blank sheet of paper.
-Call your friends and family.
-Wake up early.
-Isolate disappointment. Circulate accomplishment.
-Journal over Facebook.
-Engage in Flow activities.
-Other people cannot make you happy.
-Be honest with yourself.
-The harder you work, the luckier you get. (from a sign hung up in Hop Vine
reminding me everyday that I needed to find a better job)
-Ignore FOMO anxiety.
Thanks to Sean Royce for giving me permission to share his 2013 goals. How will you apply what you know in 2013?
"
Every day we should hear at least one little song, read one good poem, see one exquisite picture, and, if possible, speak a few sensible words." Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
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