One of the many unfortunate aspects of our contemporary culture is that we are always rushing. Whatever we are doing, often even “leisure” activities, we rush. We move at a pace which is unnecessarily and counterproductively fast. I don’t know if it’s because we’re afraid we won’t get everything done that’s on our to-do list, or if it’s a kind of distraction to keep our minds off things we’d rather not think about, or if it’s just something we’ve learned at some point during our life.
All I know is that this tendency to rush is automatic. Even living here in the country, with precious little on my agenda or to-do list, I still catch myself rushing ... in this case walking quickly. And then I slow down and move at a reasonable pace.
What’s the problem with rushing? If you’re rushing, you can’t be present. If you’re rushing you can’t be aware of what’s going on around you, you can’t stop and smell the roses, you can’t observe. And if you are not aware of what’s going on around you, if you can’t observe, then you aren’t present in the moment because being present is savoring experiencing the moment. If your rushing, you also can’t really focus on the task you are performing; to be present with the task, to give it the attention it deserves, you need to go slow.
It’s amazing what a difference it makes to ones experience of time when you stop rushing about. All of a sudden, it one is trained (an important part of walking the path is learning to observe, which goes beyond seeing; see my book, The Self in No Self), you have the space to observe. Whether you live in the city or in the country, it is observation of what is around you that enriches life, that places you in the context of the rest of humanity and nature. You are aware of everything and, if you have reached that stage of your practice, your awareness is free of the intervetion of thought, free of labels.
So try and be aware of your pace in going through the day. If you aware you are rushing, slow down. It will not only strengthen your ability to connect spirituality with your environment, it will improve your work product.
All I know is that this tendency to rush is automatic. Even living here in the country, with precious little on my agenda or to-do list, I still catch myself rushing ... in this case walking quickly. And then I slow down and move at a reasonable pace.
What’s the problem with rushing? If you’re rushing, you can’t be present. If you’re rushing you can’t be aware of what’s going on around you, you can’t stop and smell the roses, you can’t observe. And if you are not aware of what’s going on around you, if you can’t observe, then you aren’t present in the moment because being present is savoring experiencing the moment. If your rushing, you also can’t really focus on the task you are performing; to be present with the task, to give it the attention it deserves, you need to go slow.
It’s amazing what a difference it makes to ones experience of time when you stop rushing about. All of a sudden, it one is trained (an important part of walking the path is learning to observe, which goes beyond seeing; see my book, The Self in No Self), you have the space to observe. Whether you live in the city or in the country, it is observation of what is around you that enriches life, that places you in the context of the rest of humanity and nature. You are aware of everything and, if you have reached that stage of your practice, your awareness is free of the intervetion of thought, free of labels.
So try and be aware of your pace in going through the day. If you aware you are rushing, slow down. It will not only strengthen your ability to connect spirituality with your environment, it will improve your work product.
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