Always on to the next Thing

I have been really busy lately. Working long hours. Working through the weekend. Doing one thing and then another in less time than they need to be done right. But really, how is this different then any other day and any other week? We are all SO FUCKING BUSY. We run into someone we know and the answer to, “How are you?” is always some variation of “I’ve been really busy”. Sometimes we even one-up each other as if being busy is something to be proud of.

Are the things we fill our time with meaningful, aligned with our values … are they even important to us?

But I am not writing today to inspire any drastic changes to our lives. I just want us to recognize that rushing has become a habit. It is a choice. It is a perception that we have about time and about all the things we say yes to. It is a choice to either be in the present moment or to continually focus on whatever is next.

Earlier today I decided I would go outside and take some photos to include in this issue. When I went outside I immediately noticed that my lilac bush is beginning to sprout leaves and tight little blooms are emerging. It was a moment of beauty to take it all in. Then I realized I have been rushing past this bush all day and all week. I am so grateful I finally stopped and noticed it instead of brushing past is as I rush inside or rush to my car.

Nature is once again my teacher. My lilac isn’t rushing. The moon does not rush from phase to phase. Some things happen quickly and some happen slowly. But everything is in its natural time.

It doesn’t have to take a lot of time to notice nature unfolding around us. But if we keep on rushing we will miss it. So this week, as you walk between your home and your car try to notice one thing each day that you didn’t notice before. It will begin to break the rushing habit and you just might notice something to be grateful for.

When we are busy we default to our comfortable patterns of perceiving. It is only by slowing down our lives that we begin to focus attention on transforming the way we interpret and process information.
~Jeff Linkenbach

Slow down as you walk between your home and your car. What are you grateful to notice?

LEARNING: A couple things came up this week. First of all, last night I shared my gratitude here on our website but I decided to not share it publicly on social media. It wasn’t anything secretive or special. I just had one of those nights were I felt it was nice to not shout it from the rooftops but keep it quiet. The second thing was a few days ago when I was feeling blocked with my gratitude. I’ve been trying to model for people who read my gratitude that it isn’t always easy so I decided to start my post with sharing what was alive in me: “I’m feeling grumpy and just not feeling it right now. I am feeling sorry for myself and hurt.” I went on to share what I was grateful for. It was a huge aha moment for me because I found that writing out my emotions and thoughts that were standing in the way of my gratitude helped me to release them so I could move forward. They had less dominance after they were written down. So very freeing.

FORGOTTEN GRATITUDE: Last week I was also grateful for feeling my contribution is valuable … Receiving help, generously and consistently … Earplugs that work so very well and keep on working again and again.

Created by Antonia Montoya