You can’t have anything (like the future perfect version of what you think you want). So let’s slow down.

Have you ever yelled at yourself the word HURRY?! 

On the inside of your head without actual sound coming out of your mouth?

I was gathering things together for retreat: copies, folders, little notebooks (new ones arrived in the mail), little books, tea.

Wow, can it be incredibly stressful.

I once heard a wise person comment about the current culture of both education and business: “we have hurry sickness”. 

I caught myself feeling it.

Hurry up and get the copies made, hurry and sort through the name tags.

Hurry and announce it one more time because 3 people have cancelled fairly last minute, and I’ve got a surprising amount of space I haven’t had in several years.

And then, I noticed no one from the Seattle area is attending.

People are flying from Mexico, California, Chicago, Oregon, driving from British Columbia Canada, across the state coming from Eastern Washington….who is attending from Seattle?

Wait. No one? Why aren’t they?

Where are the locals? What’s going on?

I must have completely forgotten to spread the word right in my own back yard.

Hurry, hurry, spread it now. Maybe there will be someone last minute who is a therapist who could use 26 CEUs….let’s GO GO GO!

(Can you hear the cheerleading bootcamp director voice yelling?)

Sigh.

Is it true it needs to be different? (Watch my facebook live I always do Mondays at 2 pm PT on thoughts people share with me and meditations in The Work. I talked this inquiry through right out loud–scroll down to the video to see the post).

Can you absolutely know it’s true it needs to be that other way?

That “better” way?

Are you sure?

No.

People will have this thought about finding partners, making money, having a perfect wedding, landing a job…doing all the things we do that appear to be labeled “success”.

How do you react when you believe it needs to go differently than it’s going? Better than it’s going? More, or Less, than it’s going?

Arggggghhhh. Growl. Fume. HURRY.

Maybe you bang into the table on the speedy way around the corner and you cuss.

So who would you be without the thought “HURRRRRRYYYYYY!!” (Because, it needs to be different so you have quick work to do)?

Ahhhhhhh.

Thrilled about this lovely spring afternoon moment. Joyful with the unemployed situation that looks a bit dire, but noticing I’ve got food shelter and clothing and all I need. Laughing at the thunderstorm of biblical proportions on the wedding day and the fun of everyone’s sharing it together.

Clapping excitedly at the adventure of Not Knowing where this is going, and how fascinating it truly is along the way.

Turning it around: This is good here, the way it is. The way it is going is actually better than the vision or picture in my head. My thinking is in a hurry–it’s the one that wants to jump into the future and then careen wildly into the past.

Except for my thoughts, nothing is really “hurrying” and there’s no future at all in this moment right now, and no need to do a thing.

Yippee!

And here’s another Peace Talk podcast. My guest today is Jerry Mac who is a certified facilitator of The Work and he shares his fascinating story of how he came to be interested, then committed, to doing his work. The Work.

Listen here on itunes. Download it directly here.

And all together now, let’s yell (or maybe we should sing? Or whisper?) “SLOOOOWWWWW!!” 

Much love,

Grace

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