Well… three weeks into my renewed blogging rhythm, focusing primarily on unhurried living… and I can’t keep up! Or – better said – I didn’t slow down enough to do what I said I would do. I was too busy, not sleeping enough, and too tired to sit and reflect and clearly express my thoughts.
Ever feel like a failure? Ever feel like a hypocrite?
My guess is that your answer is a resounding “YES!”
The truth is that none of us is perfect, and we often set unrealistic goals for ourselves and leave no margin for unexpected interruptions or changes of plans. Learning to live unhurried continues to be a work in progress for me – it will be for you too.
One strong motivator for me to continue on this journey is recognizing the impact of my choices – not just for me, but also for the others connected to me.
Mark Buchanan says, “My biggest regret in life… being in a hurry… getting to the next thing without fully entering the thing in front of me. I cannot think of a single advantage I’ve ever gained from being in a hurry. But a thousand broken and missed things, tens of thousands, lie in the wake of all that rushing.”
When I am doing well with unhurried living – or any other positive life choice, my attitude, energy, and interactions with others benefit also. I feel better about myself, and that improves the optimism, motivation, patience, and hope that I have and I reflect to others.
When I am not doing as well, I am typically more discouraged, frustrated, irritated, and ashamed. These attitudes inevitably get projected onto others through my critical spirit, impatience, withdrawal, and distracted interactions. I do not live in a bubble, and when I am not rested, refreshed, and at peace… others pay the price.
So, I am getting back on track today and looking forward to my reading time tomorrow. I’ll leave you with a great quote from a new book I started last Monday called “The Sacred Slow” by Alicia Britt Chole. I’ve just started it, but I liked it quite a bit already!
Ours is a hurried age in which speed is deified and waiting is demonized.
Ours is a cluttered age in which noise is the norm and images constantly clamor for our attention.
And in our hurried, cluttered age, faster has become synonymous with better, and experience has become a substitute for relationship.
The problem, however, is that faster experiences do not produce better relationships with people or with God.
How do you overcome feeling like a hypocrite and get back on track with your good goals?
What choices can you make today so that others benefit from your unhurried life?
maturitas cafe 
Oh. Good. Golly. Gee. Whiz. Right to the jugular. This was timely and hard–how many people do I leave in my hurried wake? How many have I ignored when the need is there and I just don’t have time? The quote by Buchanan was hard, but so good. I can’t tell you how grateful I am that you’ve undertaken this pilgrimage and are bringing others along with you. I can follow this thinking–one step at a time. Your encouragement and insights are incredibly helpful. Thanks, friend. You might have just saved footprints from the souls of certain people.
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You are too sweet! I am sharing what I have learned the hard way. It seems to have been a topic of discussion in our house lately – our attitudes and actions affect others more than we realize. Wanting to be more aware of that and leave less shattered pieces in myn wake too. Love you, friend!
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I just shared this quote with my family from an Advent devo by Charles Stanley. “When we elevate the end over the means, we miss out because often GOD does some of HIS greatest work along the way.” I have been pondering how focused I can be on the ends (my salvation) and miss out on the means (this journey called life). I think it goes well with the hypocrisy you are talking about, and which I am very guilty of doing on a regular basis It is HARD to slow down in our society….but maybe we are blaming the wrong thing – society. Maybe we should be blaming satan instead. What a great distraction to use against ourselves – our busyness – especially because most of us would say we are busy doing GOOD things. BUT if our busy schedules are leaving those relationships by the wayside, then we are missing the example that CHRIST gave us – time with the FATHER and time with people, interacting, listening, pouring our hearts out, admonishing, laughing, loving, and yes, just sitting and being still. Thanks for your honesty, Terry What a blessing it is for The Body to be open and honest about our struggles and use those struggles to encourage each other.
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Choosing “Good vs Best” is one of the most commmon tensions we fight each day. So many good things can fill my day – but they are not always the best that God wants for me. Thanks for reading and interacting with me, Cathy!
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Really good post – yes, I’ve been a hypocrite also! I especially liked the quote:
“And in our hurried, cluttered age, faster has become synonymous with better, and experience has become a substitute for relationship.”
Maggie
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Thanks, Maggie! You might really like “The Sacred Slow”. I’ve been challenged and encouraged in just the first two chapters.
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