Pause! Slow Down A Bit

Stop Rushing Through Life!

University final year exams, passed. NYSC posting (one year), passed. Masters degree, passed. Marriage, passed. Children, passed. Old age, passed. Life… passed.

Hmm, looks familiar doesn’t it? Of course, it does – it’s the common trend. A trend that blindfolds most of us.

We are so focused on looking forward to the next phase of our life that we often forget to live the life itself. We forget to appreciate our living. We’re rushing through life.

You remember that admission you sought keenly for? I bet you’re now in higher institution. That time you were ill and needed sound health, well how do you feel now? Better, I’m pretty sure. Have you taken time to appreciate that? Have you taken a second to dwell in the moment?

Marston said, “What if you gave someone a gift and they neglected to thank you for it – would you be likely to give them another? Life is the same way. In order to attract more of the blessings that life has to offer, you must truly appreciate what you already have.”

When we take our time to appreciate God for what He has done in our lives (and believe me He has done pppllleeennnttttyyy), we create more avenues for more blessings.

If you do not appreciate where you presently are today you most likely will not appreciate where you will be in the future when you get there.

And believe me, the future is now. Gratitude is now. Not later. Not “when I have this” or “when I have that.”  The truth is you already do. There is already so much to be thankful for if you look deeply.

It is often said that the past should stay in the past and not be revisited. But come to think of it, sometimes it takes ruminating on the past to truly appreciate where we are today (and have anticipation for a better tomorrow).

They say “part of where I’m going is knowing where I’m coming from.”  Only an individual who is calm enough to savor and appreciate every moment he lives will be able to trace his mind back to where he is coming from, and vice versa.

Mike Murdock said, “Stop rushing through life. Your day should be savored. Not gulped down.”

This is often the reason people neglect their presence, they rush through life. We are more focused on where we are going than where we presently are. We want to get to the future sharp sharp. In fact, we can hardly wait to get there.

But wait, have we asked ourselves where exactly it is we are running to? Can we actually run beyond our destination? Plus, rushing through life makes us miss out on so many good things that are happening around us. It creates room for opportunities to escape through us.

The truth is there will always be something to aim for. There will always be needs to be met. There will always be so much to hope for – Nature has made it so. But at the same time, there is more to enjoy presently if we make a conscious effort to look and find.

According to Mike Murdock in his book titled 31 Secrets to Career Success, he said “Today is really the only place you will ever exist. When you get to your future, you will rename it – Today.” So, please take your time.

Enjoy every bit of every moment that you have been blessed with. Stop rushing through life. There is so much to be grateful for no matter our condition, but only if we search deeply in our heart will we find.

“An appreciation of what you have brings the ultimate abundance in your life.” – Debasish Mridha.

Be thankful. Be grateful. There’s always a silver lining to every situation if we truly and sincerely look. Not appreciating where we are blindfolds us, and may even bring lack of clarity as to where we are going next.

“There is a limit to how much you can embrace a moment. But there is no limit to how much you can appreciate it.” – Armin Houman. It is important that we never rush beyond our destination. In doing otherwise, we often forget to see us. We forget to know us.

We make impulsive decisions that may come back to hunt us in the future. Pause, relax, savor every moment because you won’t get the exact experience anymore.

The best way to enjoy every moment and not rush through life is to cultivate the habit of being grateful always. Even when we face challenges that seem to be more than what we can handle at the moment, we should pause, take a deep breath. Remind ourselves that the situation could have been worse than it currently is.

And most importantly, we should remember all the past blessings (if you look well you will find thousands of them). And have faith that the future will be better, well handled and taken care of by the One who did it in the past.

No condition is ever permanent. And let’s note that whatever it is we are going through today has happened to a thousand others and we definitely will not be the last.

Related post NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS

I hope this article has helped you realize just how much you have at your dispense to be grateful for. If so, kindly share with a friend and help them learn a few things as well. Remember to drop your comments. I’m always looking forward to reading from you.