Shack Chat Preview: Hurry
Hurry is our greatest enemy.
Why?
Because hurry robs us of life.
There are messages of love waiting for us to say to others but we are too busy tackling our endless errands to run, bills to pay, goals to meet, engagements to attend, dishes to unload, and washing to do.
We find ourselves hurriedly chipping away at life’s future demands more than we engage in the simplistic act of being where we are. We think here is better than there, so we hurry to get to a place that doesn’t exist rather than experience what is right in front of us.
And this hurry wouldn’t be so bad, except it robs us of joy and makes us forget what we are about. It leads to anger, restlessness, fear, and suffering. Hurry leads us away from love.
And to love is what I believe this life is all about.
So how about we practice slowing down?
The Christian philosopher Dallas Willard was once asked, “What do I need to do to be spiritually healthy?” After a long pause, he offered this response. “You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life.”
His response seems simple, yet profoundly challenging since we live in a society that prioritizes efficency and productivity. When we are stuck in the patterns of rushing from here to there, we can suffer from what mental health professionals call “hurray sickness.” A behavioral pattern characterized by continuous rushing and anxiety.
Our inner life is not a mirror of our environment. The opposite is true. We create an environment that mirrors our inner life. We can design our life to include more ease and clarity simply by slowing down our body & mind by fousing on the moment in front of us rather than being pulled in all directions by the endless stream of our thoughts.
The process of slowing down is exactly what the practice of yoga teaches us to do.
Action Steps to Combat Hurry
Next time you notice that you are in a state of hurry, simply pause. Maybe even close your eyes. Tune in to how you’re breathing. Tune into how your body feels. Try to smooth out your breath and with every breath out, imagine tension & stress releasing from your body. Do this for a few rouds of breath or however long is necessary. Open your eyes and notice how your outter world has changed. From this inner state of being, slowly continue about your day.
