{"id":2492,"date":"2022-03-27T13:05:28","date_gmt":"2022-03-27T17:05:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/deborahblackwell.com\/?p=2492"},"modified":"2022-03-27T13:05:28","modified_gmt":"2022-03-27T17:05:28","slug":"is-pressing-pause-on-the-sense-of-urgency-even-possible","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/deborahblackwell.com\/?p=2492","title":{"rendered":"Is Pressing Pause on the Sense of Urgency Even Possible?\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/p>\n

By Deborah Blackwell<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

You know you\u2019re 'doing it wrong\u2019, when four weeks in to your daily mindfulness course, you catch yourself in a perpetual state of swirl. I had to laugh (but it almost wasn\u2019t funny), when I realized I\u2019m going through this self-paced, online course about slowing down, in a hurry.<\/em> It started when I thought I was behind, since I didn\u2019t complete the first week\u2019s lessons on time. So, I scrambled to catch up when the email reminders that I hadn\u2019t logged on yet, nudged their way into my psyche. Being mindful suddenly seemed urgent.<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n

Type A, I\u2019ve always been on the move. I can\u2019t remember a time when I just chilled, other than childhood\u2026maybe. But this sense of urgency I always feel when I\u2019m crossing things off the to-do list, or even just watching TV? Pretty sure I\u2019ve cultivated and nurtured it my whole life.\u00a0<\/p>\n

This became clear last week when watching HBO. We saw a reenactment of Thomas Edison lighting up the New York Times building in 1882, and it was shocking. It\u2019s not like we haven\u2019t seen lights go on before, it was seeing the faces of the people who were there watching them go on for the very first time. It looked something like this:\u00a0<\/p>\n

G-A-S-P\u2014\u2014E-L-E-C-T-R-I-C-T-Y\u2014\u2014j a w s\u00a0 d r o p p e d\u2014\u2014 A-W-W-W\u2014\u2014wild clapping.<\/p>\n

We almost joined in. To see how s l o w l y<\/em>\u00a0 it came on, window by window, floor by floor, was mesmerizing. I\u2019m guessing the feeling of urgency really took off after that. Back then, even when things were urgent, urgency had to wait. Then they discovered electricity. Now, when the internet slows down, even for a minute, I get antsy. I know I\u2019m not alone. If it isn\u2019t at the speed of light, we don't want it.<\/p>\n

The FIOS rep we called to make the big switch a few weeks ago said, \u201cFastest Internet available in America. It\u2019s on glass, so it flies.\u201d I didn\u2019t need a sales pitch, but of course I lit up. A week later, I realized it wasn\u2019t much faster than what we had before, so the letdown was real. This must be built in.<\/p>\n

Has anyone else noticed that as a culture, we keep speeding everything up? Not just rockets into space, or technology on our phone. Everything. And it\u2019s contagious. From my pharmacist who doesn\u2019t ever have time to answer a question, to driving, everybody\u2019s in a hurry. This week I started going the speed limit on purpose, just to see if I could. It\u2019s fun to watch other drivers yell \u201churry up\u201d to drivers who can\u2019t hear them. I also noticed people inhale their food. Even me. Why? Because there\u2019s other stuff to do! And here\u2019s the kicker. I\u2019ve caught myself holding my breath when I\u2019m dashing through my day. I blame this on society. The pace is way too fast. Most of us are racing to the finish line. Where exactly is the finish line?<\/p>\n

Whether the sense of urgency is a personality trait or rooted in evolution, it would be a relief to feel more centered. More balanced. More \u201cat home\u201d in my body and life. I\u2019m trying to slow down. Pause. Notice things. Look with a sense of bewilderment. We don\u2019t really have to solve everything, do we? I think for most of us, it feels natural to go through each day in a bit of a haze, try to keep up, meet expectations, think ahead, and rush onward. But I hear if we \u2014pause\u2014 right here, right now, and take one thing at a time, we can have more peace in the present moment. Hmmm. Do I have the patience for that?<\/p>\n

They did when Thomas Edison turned on the lights. The actors\u2019 faces captured it all. And it dawned on me, mindfulness may take a minute, but urgency takes a toll. Why? Because nothing is truly urgent, unless it really is.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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