I have a wonderful chiropractor who always has availability when I unexpectedly hurt my back. He makes time for his patients and emergency appointments when they are in critical need, and I loved this idea of how he honors time. He intentionally leaves space in his schedule for the unexpected, which means he doesn't have to rush through the patients who are already there. He can give them his full attention while still having room for someone who suddenly needs his help. It made me think about how often we do the exact opposite in our own lives. We fill every open space, try to squeeze in one more thing, and sometimes leave ourselves almost no room for anything to go differently than planned. Then traffic happens, something takes longer than expected, or we simply get behind, and suddenly we're rushing. We feel that pressure to catch up, be on time, and avoid disappointing someone else. I know for me, being late can bring up all kinds of uncomfortable feelings, even when what caused the delay was completely out of my control. On today's Wise Walk, we're talking about what all that rushing is really about and what might change if we gave ourselves a little more breathing room. We'll look at the pressure we put on ourselves, how we respond when things don't go according to plan, and why communicating can take some of that pressure away. We'll also talk about being more present with the time we do have, offering the same grace to others that we hope they'll give us, and trusting that sometimes the best thing we can do is allow life to unfold in perfect and elegant timing. Are you noticing any rushing in your life right now? Do you find yourself in a constant state of urgency? Are you rushing out of fear of falling behind, disappointing someone else, or feeling guilty? Has rushing simply become a habit? Do you constantly fill your calendar and try to squeeze in one more thing before you leave the house or shut down your computer? When you find yourself rushing, how does it make you feel? Does rushing bring up uncomfortable feelings for you? Can you notice why you are in that state of urgency? What can you do to change it? When you find yourself running late for something you scheduled, can you give yourself permission to pause, breathe, and safely communicate that your timing has changed? When you give yourself that permission, can you also release any guilt you may be feeling? Can you create space for perfect and elegant timing and trust that the person you are meeting will offer you the same space and grace? If you are chronically running behind because your calendar is packed or overscheduled, can you intentionally slow down and create more physical and mental space? Can you catch yourself before you overschedule and give yourself some breathing room? Where can you create unexpected buffer time so you have space for whatever is meant to come your way? Before you start your car, move on to a new task, or spend time with people you care about, how can you set yourself up for success? How can you be fully present without rushing through the experience? How often do you turn off your electronic devices? How often do you silence your notifications? Can you silence distractions during meals, drive time, or focused project time? How are you holding space for yourself to stay focused, stay present, and relieve some of the pressure you put on yourself? Where can you simply breathe, enjoy the moment, and be open to receiving the best experience possible? What does being on time mean to you? I would love to hear what strategies and techniques you use to remove that sense of urgency in your life, to notice the rush when it's happening, to notice where those uncomfortable feelings of guilt or pressure are building up in your life. Please let me know what you took away from today's episode and where in your life you're creating more space and more perfect and elegant timing. I look forward to next Thursday's Wise Walk, so be sure to tune in for another episode. In this episode: [03:53] The beauty of perfect and elegant timing. [04:59] We need to allow ourselves to go with the flow and take the pressure off of ourselves and others. [05:32] When I'm running late and getting anxiety, I take a moment and pause and breathe. [06:15] When I pause, breathe, and communicate, the other person is very understanding. [07:45] Nothing in life is worth getting in an accident over. We need to keep in mind that perfect and elegant timing is what we trust in. [10:55] It's also important to pause and breathe so our attention is fully focused and we are present in the situation. [13:29] What does being on time mean to you? [15:55] When we communicate together, and pause and breathe, so many perfect and elegant things can happen. [16:16] There's nothing more important than caring for ourselves and those around us. [16:49] As a community, how can we eliminate that pressure or sense of urgency? [17:22] We are also going to silence distractions and some of the noise. We'll honor the time in the best way possible. Memorable Quotes: It's important to take the pressure off ourselves, and it's important to take the pressure off other people. - Mary Tess "Give yourself some unexpected buffer time and see what can happen with that buffer time instead of filling your schedule to the brim." - Mary Tess "When we communicate together, when we pause and breathe together, then so many perfect and elegant timing things can happen." - Mary Tess "There is nothing more important than caring for ourselves and caring for those around us." - Mary Tess "It'll happen in perfect and elegant timing." - My Aunt Caron Links and Resources: Mary Tess Rooney Email Heart Value Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram
