Not too long ago, I had one of those mornings. Sitting in the car, I was in a sour mood. Rush-hour traffic was crawling at a snail’s pace and to make matters worse, a train looped around into the station and parked itself in front of all the cars stopped at a traffic light. Traffic was at a halt an additional few minutes longer, which felt like an infinity. Later as I proceeded to make a left turn, cars in the opposite direction inched unbearably closer to my lane and another driver decided to cut me off. Sigh. While others were headed to their jobs or appointments, I, on the other hand, was headed for the Chestnut Hill Reservoir in Boston for my morning walk, and already my attitude was at its worst. Not a good way to approach a relaxing activity and certainly not a good way to start a beautiful day. I had to change, and to change fast.
Don’t we all have our moments? Moments like running late to a meeting and blaming others for our tardiness, arguing with our spouse or kids over petty matters, or losing it when Mom criticizes about our messy house? We all do. Life happens. But we cannot and should not allow things that are beyond our control dictate our mood for the day. When all else fails, this exercise always helps: Inhale and exhale deeply (preferably in a quiet place), and fixate your eyes and mind on the beauty and the blessings that surround you already.
The question is Are You Living, or Just Getting By? Are we so caught up in our day-to-day chaos that we do not notice the minutiae of everyday life? What are we all in a hurry for?
The summer months are about recreation, relaxation, and rejuvenation, and less go-go-go and do-do-do. This short block of time is about slowing down and being present. Especially here in New England, everyone wants a piece of the summer pie; because everyone knows its days are in such short supply. Sadly, we encounter a lot of people who understand the concept of slowing down and putting time back on their side but are reluctant to make any real change, and they often hurry through the motions of living hoping to accomplish as much as possible, only to reach the finish line exhausted.
On that morning as I watched my neighbors hurriedly go about their day behind their cars, I approached my morning walk with a different attitude. Imagine these experiences that I would have missed if I, too, hurried my morning like the others:
the young dad pushing a stroller and entertaining his toddler son,
the baby chipmunk filling its cheeks with breakfast treats,
the ducklings floating in the water without a single care in the world,
the gorgeous sunlight hitting the water, making it sparkle like diamonds
the curious, cream-colored Labrador Retriever sneaking into the water for a swim behind his owner’s back
When we get consumed with the daily demands of life, with our endless to-do list, with our worries and troubles — and who doesn’t once in a while — we can easily overlook the gift of the moment:
the gift of a warm smile from a stranger
the gift of a phone call from our kids in college
the gift of being alive
So, let’s take a step back and not rush these last few weeks of summer. Constantly focusing on our must-do list is a waste of time. What can we delegate to someone else today, so we can put real time back onto our day? I challenge you today to let the laundry sit a while, forgo the daily grocery shopping habit, and delay that home organizing project just a little longer. You may get uncomfortable with the thought of facing these tasks later (with a little help, you may not even have to), but the world will not come to an end because of a few unfinished tasks.
Stop doing. Start living. It’s summer!
Image credit: Susan Ho
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