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The Rush And The Rabbit Hole

The tendency to want to hurry up and move along is natural. But left unchecked it can become an anchor that weighs down an otherwise purposeful journey toward something better.

As in:

  • Adopting a child
  • Saving for a vacation (or, to stretch the time horizon even further, retirement)
  • Seeking a promotion

All of these are worthy objectives. Yet if the brain is allowed to wander, it will begin to go down the rabbit hole and replace joy with anxiety.

In those cases, it asks, "Is it ever going to happen? Will the day finally arrive? Why are the hours dragging by? What good is all of the stuff between now and then?"

Actually, the stuff between now and then is worth a lot. You can choose to savor each moment, painful though some might be. You can learn, ask smart questions and cast a vision that will make others in your circle of influence excited to go along for the ride.

Or you can stew and fret and drive yourself crazy while the second hand on the clock ticks agonizingly by.

If a baby is in your future, doesn't he or she deserve your full attention? Why waste energy worrying when you could be praying, or completing paperwork, or reading a book about parenting?

Why rush when relaxation tempered with progress will get you there faster?

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