i (want to) brake for happiness

 

In today's world, we want everything quickly. We want fast. We want immediate. We want now. While I am a huge proponent of focusing on the now and living in the present moment, there is a sense of stress and unnecessary urgency that comes with feeling as if everything has to to be done right this minute. As a whole, we are a nation of do-it-now and faster-is-better. We even mock slowness in commercials such as those featuring a pair of slow-loving turtles, the Slowskys. Americans, for the most part, despise slowness.

 

My Story of Slowness (or lack there of)

I have to admit that I am as American as they come. I love to get things done as quickly as possible. Give me a task and I'll have it done in half of the time it would take someone else to do it. Procrastination is my nemesis. If I have to do something, I want to do it now. When I was a child, I would turn in tests and teachers would look up from whatever work they were trying to get done while their students were quietly working and would shake their heads at me, saying, "You can't be done." I would quickly reply, "But I am!" Teachers either took the test disapproving, assuming I had either cheated or failed, or, sometimes they sent me back to my seat, insisting that I look it over "one more time."

As adult, things aren't much different for me. My boss's chief complaint seems to be that I work too fast. While in many cases this can be a great quality, I must admit that, at times, I miss things or don't do as good of a job as I could on a task because I am trying my best to get it done as soon as possible. Often, the work I do is good, but if I spent a bit more time on it, it could be great.

In between rushing and working and writing, I volunteer at The National Center for Children and Families(aka, NCCF). At the last meeting I had there, the woman I worked for joked that I must have so much free time when I agreed to take on more tasks for our upcoming charity auction. I don't have a lot of free time, in fact. The truth is, I just rush through everything so there's more time for everything else.

In general, I am in a hurry. I walk fast. I talk fast. In fact, I am often seen as abrupt (and even rude -- oops!) because of the rushed way I often interact with people. Considering all of this, it's probably no surprise that my mind is racing a mile a minute. I have a million thoughts that I can't seem to get to sit still. I am constantly thinking, moving, doing.

Until now.

 

Slowing it Down...

This morning I opened my in-box and, as I do almost every morning, read a quote delivered to me via Real Simple(great magazine, by the way -- check it out if you don't already know about it). This morning the quote was by Soren Kierkegaard and it read, "Most people rush after pleasure so fast that they rush right past it." 

I have spent a lot of time thinking about being mindful, about embracing the moment, and about realizing how to have a happier, more positive experience in everything I do. I have always realized that slowing down, taking in the world a bit more, would help with that, but for some reason this particular quote really grabbed me. 

We all want pleasure, right? We want to be happy. We want to feel joy. We want to experience positivity. Sometimes I think we want this so badly that we, as the quote says, rush right past it. We are so focused on getting there, to the place we believe will make us happy, that we miss it. It's like being in a huge hurry to get to an event. You're speeding. You're looking down at the map in your lap or the GPS on your dashboard. You're so focused on getting there on time that you miss the turn and end up being late. Sometimes I think we are so focused on the destination, some imagined form of pleasure, that we miss altogether the idea that pleasure, positivity, and happiness are all around us right now. 

 

Brake for Happiness

It's easy to forget, in the hustle and bustle of our daily lives, that happiness is all around us. Just think about that movie Love Actually(if you haven't' seen it, you should -- it's good one!). The movie notes that love is all around us if we just look for it. I feel the same way about happiness and positivity. In a world filled with war and hate and sadness, it's hard to see it sometimes. The way the media portray the world, it isn't all that easy to see the good, but it is there.

Sometimes I am in such a rush that I miss out on the good things in life. Sometimes I can't see anything -- good or bad -- when I'm rushing around the way I do. I'm going to make a conscious effort to slow down, to take pleasure in whatever it is I am doing, and to really be conscious of the way I am living. Whether you are an extreme do-it-now type like myself or just an average, busy person, it's pretty likely that you also get caught up in hurrying to get everything done. We have to slow down and take a look around. We're all on a highway, speeding along, but if we slow down, putting on the brakes a little bit, we may find that happiness is everywhere.

Comments

[Nadia - Happy Lotus]

Happiness is everywhere. I think the ability to see it has to do with the attitude of a person. I think a person can still have a full and busy life and yet still be aware of the happiness around...it just takes time to train yourself to be like that! :)

[Patricia - Spiritual Journey Of A Lightworker]

One of the things that makes me happy is starting the day with some quiet time for me. Usually that means having a cup of coffee as I sit and read emails in the early morning before I get busy and start my day.

Time in nature is another one. Nature reminds me that I am connected to God and everyone. The beauty of Nature is a reminder of the miracles of God.

[Michael]

Well said.

I agree with Nadia. You can have a full and highly productive life and still be calm and happy.

Personally, I'm envious of your ability to get things done so quickly. Wish I had that problem. ;-)

[Roger - A Content Life]

Nice post!

Slowing down also allows us to see reality more clearly and appreciate little things more. There is beauty everywhere if we just take the time to see, hear, touch, and taste it.

[positively present]

Roger - I agree. We can see with a lot more clarity when we slow down and take the time to enjoy life.

Michael - Haha. It doesn't sound like getting things done quickly would be a "problem" but I do spend a lot of time waiting for other people, being bored, and being told to slow down.

Patricia - Personally I don't start the day off with quiet time, but I really think I should start doing that. I would bring a sense of calm to my day.

Nadia - It definitely takes time to train yourself to be present AND have a fully, busy life. Like most things in this world, it's all about balance.