“Hurry is the enemy of love.”
— Steve Biddulph
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I’ve used this quote before in an email to you, but it hit me again recently.
Amazing how some simple truths sink in deeper and deeper, huh?
If you fancy, put this into practice and let me know how you get on.
So –
I recently finished 5 days of Ascension meditation retreat with 28 incredible people.
One of the things that struck me most was the slow down factor.
We emphasised making the most of every moment. Of being truly filled with presence as we navigated our days.
We talked a lot about being mindful and not mindlessly sleepwalking through our time on the planet.
We discussed how we all valued being alive and fluid, appreciative of our surroundings, being patient and compassionate – how it was so much better to live less frazzled, pushy, snappy, anxious and resentful lives.
I loved it.
This recalibration and reminder time is so important to me.
Yet as I got back into the full swing of my life with all its demands and responsibilities, I noticed myself starting to speed up once again.
In this hurry to get there, to the destination, to get the job done, I began to forget to prioritise the quality of the journey.
Does that make sense?
Quantity, not quality, started to become the most important thing.
The end point, tick things off my list and taking things for granted became the way; I started to forget gratitude and presence and appreciation for each and every moment and the people in it.
Love is what I truly want my life to be about, and when I’m hasty I totally forget that.
Steve Biddulph packages it all up for me:
“Hurry is the enemy of love.”
And if I’ve learnt anything in life, it's that I have no idea how much time I have left.
I want to make the most of all of these moments.
So I’m going to drink them in; not spend them mindlessly.
That's my practice. I’ll take my time, not take it for granted.
Go well,
Arjuna