On Life: What Do You Want…?
“You can never have enough of what you didn’t want in the first place.” Anne Valley Fox
On Life: What Do You Want...? Caught in an unending rush to...
On Life: What Do You Want...? Full speed ahead by land or by sea...
What do we want out of life? Why are we constantly rushing around? What do you want to be? to experience? to give? to receive? Most of us wake up in the morning, look around us, and feel we are already behind on our dreams, goals, and plans as everyone seems in a hurry to who-knows-where; a seemingly desperate effort to be, to do, to have. What’s the hurry? What are we chasing? We’ve invented more ways to life faster, to move faster, and be faster…
Where are we going? Every day, we come up with ingenious ways to save time, get to the next thing, seek express lines, shortcuts, apps, tools, speed; all in a desperate chase to fit in to do what? Perhaps, by rushing, we can avoid the real conversations about why we do it. By rushing, we postpone joyful moments to just be present in our lives, to just be happy. What do you really want from life?
“You can’t have everything, where would you put it?” Stephen Wright
On Life: What Do You Want...? Like speeding cars, our lives flash by in the rush...
Have you noticed how fast people walk in major cities? Everyone seems focused on a destination, as if they’re late to a date or meeting. If you don’t keep the same pace, you stand the chance of being shoved out of the way. Dashing everywhere, we are so into the rush that on the street, we walk in a hurry, rushing around with blinders on. On elevators, the close door button shows more wear and tear. In our cars, we speed ahead, tailgating, trying to to overtake others, or beat lights. In daily interactions, we stress over catching up, completing tasks, doing things, at a dizzying pace that eventually gets us sick. All for what? More toys?
If we can’t have everything, why are we constantly rushing around as if on an unspoken deadline or on a set timer? Sure, we have a finite amount of time in this life but why the rush? Why not linger for a moment to watch the setting sun, to be present in our lives to have a conversation about something substantive, about life? What do we truly want? If we get what we want, will we want or have time to enjoy it? Whatever it is that makes us rush, in our unending rush hour, will eventually lose its luster… then what will we do?
“In order to manifest more of what you really want, try being more of who you really are.” Michael
On Life: What Do You Want...? relax... enjoy the fountain of life...
Somehow, somewhere, we forgot our true state is happiness and, many of us have postponed our experience of happiness to some unknown future time. Speeding along, we move away from ourselves and find it difficult to connect on the heart level. We need to regroup and refocus our attention on what is really important to us. We need to ask ourselves some tough questions: What is real? What do we want? What do we truly need? What about you? What do you want with/from your life? What are your thoughts? What do you rush around for? What does it all mean to you? How do you determine the necessary from the incidental? Do share! Thank you. 🙂
This post was inspired by a Happiness Workshop and a prompt from WP Daily Post: When you’re stressed or overwhelmed, where is the best place in the world for you to go to relax?
Positive Motivation Tip: Pause, breathe and look around you. Time waits for no man but we need not outpace time.
Related articles
- What’s the Rush? (frasermurdoch.wordpress.com)
- What’s The Rush? We’re All Going To Die (deniseleeporter.net)
- What’s wrong with right now? (mindbodyspiritacademy.org)
PHOTO CREDITS/ATTRIBUTIONS: All Photos Rushing Fireboat via Wikipedia. Or People Rushing by Fabiano Kai, Cars Rushing by KitaKitts, Early Workers by Tehaha via Flickr
Until Next Time…
Ask. Believe. Receive. ©
Elizabeth Obih-Frank
Mirth and Motivation
Positive Kismet
Somehow I left the hurried life behind. Not by design but by fate I guess. I have never looked back. I am still moving I am just moving on my own time.
I’m glad that I also can say: “Somehow I left the hurried life behind…” – no more hustle & bustle …
“You can’t have everything, where would you put it?”
I think that has become my new mantra!
I am glad to have left that fast pace of life where everyone is rushing… where people rushingly stop to say hello to you. I have opted for a slower pace where I can actually enjoy and see my day go by…
In our society, we take ourselves very seriously. We pridefully arrive at our appointments and meetings and dates on time, or early if possible because we think it earns us some sort of cosmic brownie points. Rushing about makes us feel oh so very important because someone somewhere is waiting for us to appear. I love this post, and it has given me much food for thought. Thanks!
Even as I read this, I must admit, I am among those rushing here and there always trying to catch up, to make an appointment – not on time, but just not too late. But then I got to your last photo – and I was struck by the colors, the way the fountain is captured and all the people are shadows. Strangely, it made me think of the movie The Day After about the effects after nuclear devastation- do you remember that movie? 1983. I can’t tell you why but your photo is like a “before” picture to me.
And it put some perspective on what you are saying. What if all those rushing sounds, all the sounds of water flowing, or children laughing as they chase each other, honking horns… what if it all stopped and everyone was gone? Thinking about no tomorrow…, maybe then, we wouldn’t rush so much. Maybe we would savor every last moment, smell the flowers, smile and slow down to enjoy the now. Because really, it’s all we got.
Oh Elizabeth – I think I write better comments here sometimes than when I write my own posts!! You are such the muse and so brilliant, I swear. I have no idea how you are consistently so great!! I hope some day it will rub off on me! 😉
A beautiful post full of very wise ponderings. Thank you.
As I’ve gotten older, I have slowed down, not because of my older body, but because I’ve suddenly realized how beautiful everything is around me. Is it because I realize my time on this planet is getting shorter? Or is it the wisdom of age? Both, I think.
time is really very fast here, Eliz… we really need to enjoy our time
yulia
Excellent thought piece Elizabeth! I have slowed my pace considerably in the past few years. Still trying to fit everything into the day but not as stressed about it.
What I do find concerning is how our society has managed to construct a non-stop environment for children these days. I see how ‘scheduled’ my grandsons lives are and it worries me. Kids aren’t allowed to be kids these days, they have to be organized. There’s not enough ‘go out and play’. It’s more about ‘hurry or you’ll miss your karate class and then you’ll be late for baseball practice!’.
Where will that lead?
b
I wouldn’t live in a city if you paid me . . . too much hustle and bustle. I want a happy and peaceful life, sharing the best parts of myself with the world.
Most days I have just that. 😀
I love that quote by Anne Valley Fox, so true… 😉
What you write about walking speed has not only to do with big cities and country side. When I was in Germany this spring after seven years of absence, I almost got a culture shock – not only the speed, but also because people don’t seem to look right or left even when they’re walking slowly.
In high school, one of my teachers asked us, now that you have dishwashers to do the dishes, washers to do the clothes, polishers for the floors, stoves to do the cooking, what will you do with all the time that’s left? I was puzzled at first. I hadn’t even thought about it. We fill the empty spaces with stuff and more stuff. Perhaps because we don’t want to look at what’s really in front of us – ourselves, our lives, our loved ones, our society.
*soft smile* the beach for me is the best place. Or a mud spa at Daylesford. Luckily, I’m not much of a seeker of material things: healthy happy children and a loving relationship are my most treasured possessions.
Good reminder to slow down or stop and smell the roses! 🙂
One of my favorite quotes is, “Don’t postpone joy.” Fabulous post, Elizabeth!