There is No Rush

Are there phases or chapters of your life that parallel a race of some sort?  Maybe you are even finding that you are in a “life race” right now.  How do you like the word, “busy?”  Do you use the word yourself almost absently or find that others around you are using that particular word a great deal? Why are some words used excessively?   Could it be that some words can actually get “worn out” from overuse?  Is it possible that “worn out” words can in turn become meaningless?

In the spirit of “bold peace” I will share with you that I loathe the word, “busy.”  Coming from a person that loves to read & write & communicate in all forms, it is disappointing to me personally just how much I detest that particular word.  Most of us have “hot buttons” & some of them may be surrounding either a tone used by others or wording or words.  “Busy” can be used in some profoundly demoralizing ways by people.  Being a peacemaker albeit a feisty one, I find that I cannot simply sit back & listen to folks who are bringing other people down.  We get to choose whether at any given time we are lifting others up or pulling people down.  Sadly, too many times, I have witnessed folks using the word “busy” in a way that is not lifting others up.  There are countless instances of people choosing to articulate at length just how busy they are & that they will fit that other person into their excruciatingly busy schedule.  Those are not the exact words needless to say yet the spirit speaks of this loud & clear.   The ego is a small word with a potentially damaging effect on the esteem of other people within our human family if left unchecked.  Do you enjoy feeling like you are bothering someone who is already “too busy” just by taking up some of his or her time?  Yikes!  On the flip side of the coin, some folks feel the need to inflate the busyness of his or her life as either a form of competition with others or to feel worthy somehow in this fast paced world.  We do not have to listen to nor believe every single thought that comes into our minds.  We have the opportunity to challenge at times certain thoughts & change them to ones that better meet & serve others needs as well as our own.

Have you found that the people that you naturally admire & love to share time with include a myriad of inspiring individuals?  How much do you look forward to sharing time with the unsung heroes in your life that have a natural peace about them?  They could be in the middle of chaos or hardship & yet they are still peace personified.  I have found that since I am passionate about becoming an even more “present” person that I learn best from mentors, family & friends that have a peacefulness about them.  I have seen many of their schedules over the years by chance.  You would never know from the peaceful heroes themselves that they are experiencing extremely full days.  You will know that you are sharing time with someone like this when several things happen:  the time goes by faster than ever, you are already planning the next time to get together, you feel his or her “light”, you feel lifted up or better for having shared time together, feel presence, and  profoundly cared about.  The list goes on & on & your list may be different from mine in terms of the characteristics of a peaceful encounter.

We  can realize that we already “have” abundance.  Is it the abundance that is bringing meaning to our lives & to the lives of our Dear Hearts though?  I have found that when I focus on “being” &  “becoming” that the most abundant treasure is exactly there.  I love big dogs but I don’t choose to be one.  Keeping up with the Jones’ would not add any peace to my heart or the Dear Hearts in my life.  Do you ever wonder if you can “have it all?”  Each one of us will have a different viewpoint on that.  A bigger question just may be the one that asks us what “all” is?  When I look at abundance, my picture is one of being surrounded by family & friends, a purpose that is greater than little ole me, and love that is overflowing.  Each person has a different picture of what provides him or her with joy or peace or meaning.  The big part is to assess often if we are living our own story & feel that sense of abundance in our heart.  Choosing to live someone else’s story at least for me would not make any sense & sure would not lead to peace or abundance. 

Okay Saundie, where did these ideas come from today & what in the world does any of this have to do with diabetes or 365 challenges?  This morning, I chose to get up 30 minutes earlier.  What a difference that choice first thing in the morning has made to the entire day!  What a feeling it has been throughout the day knowing that the pace of the day is a gentler one.  The thought that has gone through my mind at different points in the day is “yay, I am running 30 minutes ahead of schedule so I get to be extra present in the world today.”  I found myself noticing people around me more & sharing a sense of timeless presence with people around me.  You know what?  I am not fond of running literally so why would I choose “running or racing” as a continuous life choice?  For me, I realized that yes I would need to replace one thing with another.  In this case it was giving up 30 minutes of sleep yet it was worth it.  Some days the sleep may be more important.  Let’s say that we choose to give up sleep to a point of excess.  Well, over time, my feeling is that I would be less present with people because I would be too physically tired.  There are many permutations & combinations though of how we can add meaningful abundance into our lives & the lives of people that we love.  The point is that if we are living our lives with intention, focus, attention & action in conjunction with our purpose, then we are experiencing abundance in my mind.

It goes without saying that it has taken me many years to “get” what abundance is all about in my life.  Knowing what this beautiful word means to me though makes a huge difference each & every day.  My definition of abundance has become part of the compass that I carry with me as I make decisions throughout each day.  Some choices take us in the direction of our picture of abundance & other choices take us away from this.  Every new day though, we get to make choices all over again. 

When I think of how the words “busy” & “abundance” pertain to my life since being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, I realize that words sure do either add more meaning to our lives or take meaning away.  It depends on our daily choices, that’s for sure.  For the first 3 years of life with type 1 diabetes, I tried with all my might to keep up the schedule that I had prior to diagnosis.  The truth is that many times I tried to do even more than I had done prior to diagnosis.  My ego had control of me during bouts of overdoing things coupled with denial frankly that I had a chronic illness.  Thankfully, I got a tap on the shoulder (well several) & for about a year and a half, I have reminded myself of several things daily.  The daily self reminders include:  reminding myself that I am not my best self for anyone if I burn myself out, that when I choose to overdo then I am taking energy away from “the abundance” or people & things that truly matter, that I am not a “big dog”  but rather humility is the preferred go to thinking, that if there is too much “doing” & “noise” that I cannot hear my inner compass.  When I had over filled my schedule, I did not leave any place for adequate rest, rejuvenation, getting a hold of perspective, and joy.  The great news is that now I am forever grateful that I got those taps on the shoulder so that I could make different daily choices.  The best news is that I get to carry the abundance of peace, joy & care with me every day because of the new choices.  The best part is sharing this with Dear Hearts.

You may be a person who loves to run.  I admire that.  May the races in your life be ones that are health building both physically & spiritually.  My heart’s hope for you is that you “run” your life your way & always through your picture of meaningful abundance.

Smiles, Saundie :)

Wishing you an abundant weekend of sun, time with Dear Hearts & all that you hold dear.  Monday's sharing is entitled, "Subliminal Chit Chat"  :)