I have spent my whole life moving as fast as I can to do as
much as I can by multitasking and staying on the run. I went to
college at the age of 15 and graduated from law school in two
years. I consistently tried to speed up my life by biting off more
than I could chew and then swallowing it in one big gulp.
I mean that literally, as I was usually the first to finish my meal and
would often eat while driving, or while doing at least two other
things. I never felt overloaded and believed that I could handle
anything that I had an opportunity to touch. I volunteered for
whatever came my way and headed all types of arts, charitable and
religious organizations.
Those who know me well understand what I mean when I say that
I have lived three lives and have enjoyed each one of them. I never
saw a need to stop and smell the flowers, or even to yield to stop
signs. With me, it has always been go, go, go. However, as I grow
older, I am getting wiser and have begun to realize that less can be
more; and that by slowing down, I might even enjoy life more fully
than I had previously.
Some of that wisdom was forced on me, as I began to develop
some more mature viewpoints and age-related health issues. But, I
can’t attribute my change in attitude to that alone. I’m getting older,
which is inevitable, but I am also learning from those who I love and
respect.
I think my sudden change of heart came about when I tried slowing
down and found that I actually enjoyed it. Relaxing and resting
were not as bad as I had believed them to be; and the more I did it,
the more I began to see the virtues of pausing to watch a sunset. I
am not referring to idleness for, certainly, it is not that I am loafing
about, but rather that I’m allowing myself more time to do things
that are important to me. This is not an easy task; but I find that if I
spend a little more time doing things I truly enjoy, rather than doing
as many things as I can or those that I believe “I should” be doing,
I can make my life more meaningful without sacrificing my zest
for life and achievement.
I still have a long way to go, but at least I have advanced enough
to begin to look for opportunities and to focus on those things that
bring me joy, even when there is something else I could be doing at
the same time.
Have you considered what you could be doing that you aren’t? Or,
are you rushing through to get to something else that is not nearly as
important to you? Perhaps, you may want to apply your brakes and
slow down, just as I have. The flowers do smell great, and our sunsets
are spectacular.
I’m not myself today and everybody has noticed the improvement 57