A few weeks ago, I was cursed out by a driver who was angered by the fact I had stopped traffic to allow for a truck and trailer to back into a parking spot.
I didn’t respond, but I was bothered by the pent-up anger of this “gentleman” by having to sit still for 30 seconds.
Everywhere we look in life, there seems to be a constant hurry!
It’s in the products we buy, the devices we use, the cars we drive, and in meals we consume. Fast food, fast lanes, and 5G all tell us to hurry up.
At work, the speed continues as we rush from project to project, meeting to meeting, and email to email. The need to always be productive becomes addictive and eventually an idol in a capitalistic economy.
The constant need to rush in all we do is at the expense of trying to do it all! We are in a 24-7 of trying to accomplish.
What is the hurry?
Is someone dying?
Is the earth crashing?
Is there a fire that needs to be put out?
Unless you’re the first responder, the answer is most likely a NO!
Speed increases a level of stress that is harmful to the body, our immune systems, and our cognitive abilities. Speed and stress go hand in hand. And in my first-hand experience, anger tends to consume people that can’t tolerate those going at a different pace.
Doing life at a constant 75mph pace is not sustainable.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has long reported on the leading causes of workplace stress that impact our mental and physical health. These factors have been exasperated by COVID-19.
- Working long hours
- Work-Life conflicts
- Pressure to WORK FAST in a demanding environment
- Having relatively low control over your job and job environment
There are numerous ways to slow your busy schedule by building boundaries, time blocking, eliminating distractions, making self-care a priority, or making a career transition. But before making any modifications to your lists or your life, you should start by asking yourself WHY?
It’s insanely important to get to the core of our “why”. Our why is at the foundation of how God created every person. Knowing our unique purposes in life gives us a north star that we are always moving towards.
We all have a supernatural gift that should be the engine behind our being. 1 Corinthians 12:7 says: “A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other”.
I recently played the “why game” with my kids. It went something like this:
Kids: If you had 1 Billion Dollars, what would you do?
Me: I would buy property where I would grow coffee on a tropical island!
Kids: Why?
Me: Because I love coffee and tropical weather.
Kids: Why?
Me: Because a lot of people in this world love coffee and warm weather too!
Kids: Why?
Me: Because, l believe that people should slow down, practice retreating to nice destinations, and coffee plus beauty is a way to slow down.
Kids: Why?
Me: Because the world is always in a hurry and I want to create a place where people can enjoy intentionality and a slower pace.
I stopped the game right there, but if they had asked why for a fifth time, my response retrospectively would have been that God even took time to rest, enjoy the fruits of his labor at the end of each day, and even rested on the 7th day.
What was also revealed at the foundation of the “why game” was my life purpose! To provide harmony and rhythms back to those that are stuck in the rat race.
If you already know your purpose, calling, and unique gifts to this world, be encouraged by Paul’s advice in Galatians 6:9-10 that says: “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessings if we don’t give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.”
So let me ask the question, why do you rush? The next time you feel pressured to speed, ask yourself why.
If the answer is everyone dies, then hurry up! “Run Forest Run!”
I get it! There are times in life when the slow lane is not possible. As it says in Ecclesiastics 3:1, “For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven”. This passage provides a wide array of the rhythms of life, specifically around “the time to kill and the time to heal” in Ecclesiastics 3:3. We have permission to kill it at work…to succeed, to win, to conquer, to accomplish! But this same verse instructs us to heal after the kill…to rest, restore, and recharge.
Our world is in a constant hurry and unfortunately does not promote the other necessities of rest, retreating, and restoring.
If you’re the type of person that the rushing of your life is driving up your anxiety, the answer you’re looking for could be establishing a new rhythm to your life by making rest a priority.
Take one step today by “taking your time” and taking your time back.
Go for a long walk and take 20 min power naps. Start cooking your meals with whole foods, start journaling daily, start a grateful list, shut down your phone between 5PM and 9AM, or choose to be present when your child asks you for your time.
If you are already practicing work-life boundaries, go for something a bit more extreme. Choose the longest line at the grocery store, TSA, or a drive-through. Let someone or some people in front of you out of pure courtesy. This will test your patience and ability to slow it down.
Time is precious! Time is a gift that should be stewarded. But let’s not constantly hurry through the time missing the beauty and opportunity to bless someone.
Why are you in a hurry?
