Have you ever found yourself rushing for no reason at all? After a whirlwind week of Christmas gatherings and get togethers driving across time zones and off to training I'm having to remind myself to pause. Sometimes after a busy segment of life I find myself trying to maintain that status quo. My mind is attempting to stay in that state of hurry and rush. What's next? What do I need to prepare for now? I notice that I buffer instead of zoning in. I check the weather... maybe look at Facebook... peek at the news... try to find something to do for business... check email... the list goes on. Yet those things are a form of buffering and keep me from refocusing and choosing what I want next. In that moment instead of aimlessly keeping that same level of activity going, it is much more effective and beneficial to me to pause and wait a minute. I close my eyes and listen to the sounds around me. I think about a place that makes me smile (usually on the side of a bald hill in the Bighorn Mountains where I can see the whole range). I breathe. Life doesn't have to stay high movement even though my mind is trying to keep it that way. I have the power of choice. I can choose whether or not I stay in that higher stress state or if I bring myself into a more relaxed place. And I often find that after refocusing I'm ready to move on to something else, but with my full attention now rather than just part of it. I can write. I can spend meaningful time with my family. I can focus on a new task. It's the times that I don't create the space for change that bring stress, chaos, and lack. Definitely not things I would choose. What about you? Do you take the time to wait a minute? Maybe try it just before you get home from work. Find a spot to stop before you get home and refocus. It might completely change your life. Let me know your thoughts...
-Trey