The rat-race

In this fast paced world we are always in a hurry. We want to get things done and done quickly. We speed through one task then rush straight into the next one. 

Even food needs to be fast. Waiting, queueing - where have those things gone? It used to be a common thing to stand in a queue at a checkout for 15minutes, most of the time you'd just wait and chat to others waiting, or make faces at a nearby baby. Now, there's pressure on supermarkets to open another till if there's more than a couple of people waiting, to have packers at the end ready to shove your stuff in bags, there are even self-service and self-scan options in some places to help you feel in control and to ease the waiting time. 

I remember queues, waiting and getting bored. My kids and the coming generations are now not used to waiting for things. It's an expectation that I'm hungry now so I must have food asap, I want to buy something so how can I do it as quickly as possible? In today's world we are not used to waiting, to practicing patience or taking our time to achieve something. 

So many processes have been sped up. Even looking up the definition or spelling of a word is simple now, you just google it. Forget the old fashioned laborious task of getting out the giant dictionary! Even wood carving can be done by machine now, as can knitting and the washing. Things that we used to have to spend more time on now take far less time, so how are we in more of a rush I wonder?

We are living in a fast-paced world and are fast paced individuals. We are used to a culture of moving quickly, finishing one thing and going straight into the next. We don't tend to have much time to get bored or even to think. To reflect on what's just happened. We ourselves are turning into machines. Processing as much as we can in minimal time in order to get a satisfactory output. 

The thing is - do we need to? We expect so much of ourselves, and it seems to be an expectation that when we ask how people are we get the response, 'busy'. I'm the same. Do we need to be like that though? 

I know there are things that need to be done, but are there any things we can drop? Can we allow ourselves a greater time margin so that we are not rushing from one thing to the next? 

Honestly, I'm worried. I'm worried for the next generations. If we are rushed - how are they going to be? Zooming form one thing to the next you forget to notice things, you don't have the opportunity to build relationships, to listen to or help others. You can forget about using imagination, being bored or developing patience.

I love it when we don't have our day all planned out and there's 'downtime' for us as a family. I like that they have the chance to be bored without the distraction of technology. Those times are when they have a chance to use their imagination, to create a game, read a book, day-dream. They can choose what they want to do rather than participating in pre-planned activities. Having that time helps them to figure out what they actually like doing, and it can help to develop other skills. 

I want to encourage you, let yourself have some time. Let yourself get bored and wait, let yourself have time where there's nothing to do (well there's always something you CAN do, but it doesn't HAVE to be done in that moment). Have some time to do whatever you want. It will do you good. It will open your senses to notice more. It will enable you to discover a bit more of who you are and allow you to rest from the rat-race. 

I don't want to be always busy. It's tiring and boring - busy doing what? What's the Long-term good of all the rushing around? Sure, some days will be hectic, but it shouldn't be everyday. Let go of the expectation that life should be like that, it shouldn't. It's not life, it's existing. Life is given as a gift to each one to enjoy, so take some time to do that. To enjoy the gift of the day you've been given.