A reflection on a hurry-up culture

Greetings from D.C.

Recently, someone very special to me shared with me the above quote. Since, I’ve ruminated on it night after night, recognizing it to be what it is—the perfect lesson for this perfect moment.

Life has slowed down—for most of us, myself included, not necessarily by choice but rather by necessity. Being recently single and newly unemployed, I find myself with time on my hands unlike any other period of my adult life. And, against the backdrop of a global pandemic, this time has seemingly multiplied.

I have realized, for some time now, that I am wired to hurry the way in which culture has taught me, and told me, and still tells me to do. It is hard to be defiant towards something so engrained in my core. And yet, this time and with this time, I am choosing to be defiant.

What is simple in theory is so difficult in practice—the taking of time to be present and patient, to luxuriate in contemplation and its many revelations. But it is a choice, and I am choosing to receive this time presented to me as a gift, an invitation to contemplate a different alternative than what might otherwise be expected of me, for me, by me.

It is both terrifying and terrifyingly exciting—terrifying in that it requires me to trust in a process that is unknown to me, consciously at least, and terrifyingly exciting in that I know to my core that it is this process that will ultimately invite and enable inspiration to flow to me and through me.

I accept this journey on which I find myself, this exploration of the many paths of who I am. I am grateful to be on this journey and am thankful to have the support of friends, family and loved ones.

As I retire these thoughts, at least for now, I recall a passage that has resonated with me for awhile now from Elizabeth Gilbert’s Big Magic.

My desire to work—my desire to engage my creativity as intimately and as freely as possible—is my strongest personal incentive to fight back against pain, by any means necessary, and to fashion a life for myself that is as sane and healthy and stable as it can possibly be. But that’s only because of what I have chosen to trust, which is quite simply: love. Love over suffering, always.

I hope to see you on the mat this week or soon. As always, please reach out to connect.

With gratitude,

XO