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How much of your life is spent rushing from one place to another? I don’t necessarily mean rushing to get somewhere on time because you’re running late. I’m talking about that subtle- and at times- overwhelming pressure that you’re not getting enough done… there’s too much to do… I need to go faster, because if I can just accomplish one more thing, I will be able to sit down, relax and feel content! Does that sound familiar to you?
What if I told you that you don’t have to experience stress every time you are running late… and the underlying pressure that’s constantly pushing you is an out right lie, which you don’t have to live with. Would you be interested? Because a life without pressure, stress, and anxiety is absolutely possible, once you understand why you rush and what is driving you. So, let’s explore the mechanics behind rushing, and perhaps realize what it means to live a stress-free life…
Imagine waiting in a long line at the bank, or driving in heavy traffic. You don’t have to be anywhere specific, and yet isn’t there usually, in situations like these, a sense of impatience, irritation and anxiety? If you want to get to the root of why you are feeling these unpleasant emotions, try this exercise. Ask yourself what needs to be different in your life right now in order for you to be happy. Your mind may present you with a lot of different scenarios. Maybe you just want to be at home eating dinner, perhaps you have think you have too much to do and wish it could all just disappear.
Now, are any of those scenarios possible right now in the instant you are waiting in that line or driving in traffic? No. And does thinking about them make them happen sooner? No. And finally, does thinking about them relieve the stress, impatience and anxiety that you feel? If you are honest, then you’re answer will be No.
If you look closely, you will see that it is when you are wishing you were somewhere else that you feel the negative emotions. This is astonishing because it proves that it is not the heavy traffic or the long line that makes us unhappy, but wishing we were somewhere other than where we are.
You can take this same exercise into each and every situation you find yourself rushing in. For example… pretend you have a deadline to meet at work and you are running out of time. Most people, in a situation like this, begin to feel an accumulation of stress and frantic feelings in general. On a practical level, would you say that people under stress are more efficient, clear thinking and creative… or do they tend to make more mistakes, become confused easier, and have a tendency to hit roadblocks as apposed to being open to more creative possibilities? The latter, right? So, why is the stress there? It is obviously not helping.
You may not know it, but the answer to this is in your own mind. All stress is caused from believing untrue thoughts. When you consciously look at the thoughts you are believing when you’re stressed out and anxious, genuinely look to see exactly what they are giving you. Try and find a helpful, peaceful reason to keep them.
Explore your mind and your motives with as much honestly and openness and possible, and you will soon clearly discover that all stressful thoughts are completely unnecessary. When this happens you will be left with a peaceful relief and joy, knowing that everything in your life is exactly as it should be.