There are many reasons why people are overwhelmed today but the bottom line is we still have some degree of choice as to how we handle our lives. This is especially true if you value your life. Perhaps therein lies part of the problem. Do we value giving ourselves permission to relax, hang out with those we love, and have fun, or is getting things done more important?
Perhaps valuing one’s life grows exponentially with age. I am very aware of the passing of time now. As a young woman my days were spent trying to be superhuman. I could have doubled for Wonder Woman. I drove myself nuts and I’m sure many around me with my inability to just “stop”. After all I had to live up to my mothers’ expectations and the inner critics that would reprimand me if I wasn’t perfect. When you have this mindset you also have a need to make everyone around you the same way. After all why should they rest if you’re not?
Today the culture expects far more.Technology has made it literally impossible to remove yourself from someone’s demands. When I first started my career someone would ask me for a proposal and I would be able to take some time and then mail it to them. Once faxing entered the picture, immediacy became part of the picture. Waiting is a lost art. If you don’t give someone what they want right away they move on to someone else. They assume you’re just not interested.
Believe me I’m not advocating for letting things slide for weeks on end, but what ever happened to being able to take your time in order to get the best possible outcome? Over the years I have talked to more and more people who are so overwhelmed by the pressure of getting things done “right now” that it is becoming virtually impossible to have a moment to oneself.
The ability to produce excellence is predicated on our mind/body and spirit being in a good place. If we don’t start recognizing this we are training future generations to essentially become robotic. I already am witness to watching people dining who have their cell phones at the ready as if they were members of a swat team. I have felt the nervous energy from some people I am conversing with who are anxious to speak their piece and move on. I have listened to some of my colleagues rattling on about how busy they are and how little time they have to accomplish it all. I often want to respond with “good for you, you’ll be dead soon”!
Take time to smell the roses because if you don’t you will have a very “thorny” ride.
LOL! I like that ..”good for you, you’ll be dead soon!” I used to be one of those people who didn’t feel validated unless I was working 24/7. What a waste of life! I’m retired now and have a much better sense of self worth. Altho it remains difficult at times to feel like I’m doing something useful with my time. All those things I wanted to do when I retired….now I forget what most of them were! LOL! I’ve recently discovered ellen langer’s books. She’s the mother of mindfulness and Im hoping her books and your articles can straighten me out!
This is just what I needed to hear today. I am going out to plant a rose and walk the Dog in this Beautiful Sun shiny day..Thanks for the Push.
What wise words, as I get older I echo those sentiments, life is short, the years fly past.
We are all ‘a long time’ dead’ as the saying goes!