What IS the rush?

There's conflict everyday. War, neighbors, family, work, and in our own heads. What struck me this afternoon (not some grand revelation, mind you) was that we aren't clear at all.

This all started while I was driving this afternoon. This crazy, chevy, little car was bobbing and weaving on a two lane, 45mph road going nowhere. She would enter one lane to swerve right back where she was and repeated this all the way to the light. She came off quite foolish. I watched as the guy behind her (and next to me) shook his head and mouthed "What's your rush?"

In a world full of cliche's - we say "what's the hurry, stop and smell the roses, enjoy the view, haste makes waste, etc." while in another breath we say "early bird gets the worm, life's short, you only live once, and so on." We are walking, living, breathing contradictions. What is the true path? What is the proper frame of mind? Some may say it depends on the situation but is that so? Strong and steady or fast and furious, that is the question.

For me, I tend to be the latter. Not because I'm packing in life to the fullest but because my Type-A personality needs me to get it done, NOW. I am in constant competition with myself to be faster, better, smarter, whatever it is that is desired in the moment. Is this healthy, absolutely not.

I've posted before about curbing spending habits and avoiding brand new; work the barter, prev used system and try to produce/waste less and appreciate more. This also goes to the next level in everything we do. We need to waste less energy as individuals. I'm not talking about fuel and living green when I say this. It's not to doddle around life and lay on a couch but perhaps racing to the finish line isn't what it's cracked up to be. All this pressure on myself and what we put on ourselves daily is damaging. The stress from work, home, traffic, everywhere - it's enough. Why would I want to put more on myself.

Today was a very relaxed and enjoyed day. There's a Coca-cola cartoon commercial they preview at theatres lately, where a "bad" guy enters the scene and people fearfully run and hide. Then he opens a Coke (beverage), the song begins to play(you give a little love and it all comes back to you), the screen brightens up, and he fulfills an abundance of good deeds.

This was my frame of mind today. I didn't curse any drivers, I didn't race to be first, I patiently waited on line at the gas station, and even purchased a colouring book off of a girl in the parking lot trying to get to Knotts Berry Farm.

It was a good day. I liked myself. I wasn't stressed or uptight. There's something to that.

Now if I can capture that and live it daily; "like gold in my hand." Indeed.