Why is it that sometimes we have to literally force ourselves to slow down to appreciate the present? Society throws so much at us all at once and it’s so easy to fall into the trap of trying to keep up.
But the thing is, why do we feel the need to “keep up”? I mean…keep up with who? And for what?
Late last year, I felt God inviting me to slow down. I had so much anxiety about my future. I wanted so much, so fast. I was missing moments. I was missing the beauty within my journey.
When I think about it, the anxiety that we sometimes feel about where our lives are headed robs us of the beauty of where we are in our lives are right now.
I could see it happening.
I was obsessively looking for something better than what I had, waiting to achieve this unachievable happiness that I envisioned, which was ultimately leaving me miserable.
I have to admit, I’ve pretty much lived most of my life waiting for this magical “happily ever after” that we’re groomed to believe that we’re able to obtain; waiting for that perfect opportunity, that perfect relationship, perfect friends, perfect job, etc…
And right in the midst of my waiting, God was busy blessing me with what I needed but I couldn’t see it. And if I did, I would acknowledge it for a day or two and then go right back into “waiting for better”.
Waiting to be happy leaves a space between where we are now and this unknown, unreached space in the future that we may have created in our minds. Of course, we all have ambitions that we want to accomplish, but believing that we have to wait for something to happen for us to be happy is a recipe for an unhappy life.
Are you waiting around for the big “ta-dah!” of your life? What if that never comes?
Well, today I give myself permission for my “better” to be right now. And (with any authority that I have, lol) I give you that same permission.
I’ll no longer wait for life to wow me, but I’ll work on finding the “wows” within the crevices of each moment of my life.
They’re there. I know it.
