"Prestissimo" by Mimi Stuart
Live the Life you Desire

Many people get a rush out of rushing and squeezing extra tasks into every minute of the hour. I personally have found myself feeling proud of all the things I can get done in a short amount of time.

However, when rushing becomes a habit rather than a skill left for the occasional emergency, your life suffers in several ways:

1. You cannot enjoy the mystery and depth of the moment.

2. Even if you enjoy the challenge of speed and action, you exude tension.

3. Other people feel your tension and don’t enjoy being with you. They might even feel as if they are an imposition on you.

4. Rushing causes you to make mistakes and forget things.

5. You don’t spend much “quality” time with others.

When you’re overly focused on a goal, you may forget the impact you have on others. For example, people often tail-gate while driving because they don’t allow enough time to get where they are going. They are too busy trying to squeeze in an extra task.

Worst of all, people become impatient and rude with those closest to them if they have too much on their mind.

So, take a step back, notice your tendency to fill every moment. Become aware of the anxiety caused by packing too much in.

There’s no need to swing to a life of meditation. Simply take a little more time to become “present” to yourself and those around you. Calming down your inner pusher will allow you to experience greater serenity, mystery, and depth in your life.

by Alison Poulsen, PhD

Read “Too Responsible to Enjoy.”