To Where Are We Rushing?

We rush.

It’s Tuesday. We sit at work and complain how we are tired and cannot wait for the weekend.

There is construction on our way to dinner. Our anxiety builds about being late because we only budgeted time for a commute with clear roads.

Winter starts and we already wish for spring.

Vacation ends and we already start to plan another. We fail to reflect and appreciate what we just enjoyed.

Life in 2019

The modern world causes us to rush. We are bombarded with information on the radio, TV, social media and everyday conversations. We hear about movie releases and count down the days until we can watch. A friend from high school gets married and we can’t believe they have found love and hope every person we meet might be the One. Someone from college has a better job and we stress that we are falling behind in life.

We can’t wait to make more money. We can’t wait to have our own homes. We can’t wait to have a wedding. We can’t wait for a fancy car. We can’t wait to have a family. We can’t wait to go on a fancy vacation. We can’t wait until we retire.

I think we often get caught up in what we expect of ourselves that we forget it is okay to stop and appreciate where we are at. We are racing around trying to reach new goals all the time. In the blink of an eye a week or month or maybe even years have passed. Do we remember what happened or were we too focused on the finish line?

Every single day I find myself rushing. Part of it is just my brain and how my thoughts are always swirling but a lot of it has to do with the expectations I have for myself.

I’m going to try to slow down. To stress less. If I am running late to meet friends I need to send an apology text, focus on getting there and calm down. I need to stop worrying about my friends that earn more money than I do. I don’t need to have random weekend plans made for the next six months. When I hit traffic I need to listen to Ed Sheeran and enjoy the nature outside my car windows.

The Whole World Doesn't Rush

Nature doesn’t rush. Spring is here but the flowers and trees are in no rush to bloom. But when they do bloom they will be beautiful. I am excited to see the green and other colors of spring. I am tired of gray skies, dull grass and soggy bare trees. Yet, in order to not rush I need to appreciate the way the weather is now. Warmer days and brisk nights. Earlier sunrises and more birds chirping to wake me. I don’t want to wish away this time because then I will won’t appreciate spring and will just wait for summer.

We cannot rush the timelines of our lives just like nature doesn’t rush the seasons. We have one life. Why rush it away? I want to appreciate each day. Each moment. I want to let my life move organically instead of rushing around to make it fit a weird construct I have in my mind.

I think it will be very hard. But I want to try.