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| The view from my bedroom window this morning--Hydrangeas are blooming! |
Take, for instance, this morning. A friend of mine was taking Flannery to camp, since her kids were going to the same one and it was on her way to work (and not on the way to mine). My family got up with plenty of time to get ready, and then 15 minutes before it was time to leave, Flannery decided to switch outfits and wanted my help getting ready. I was cream-cheesing her bagel and bobby-pinning her hair (it was dress up day for the last day of camp, and she went as a hippie) and entwining lavender flowers into her headband and looking for my shoes and not finding my phone and putting dinner in the crock pot all at the same time.
Sometimes, "Be Unhurried" is about as do-able as "Be a giant frog."
But, even after I had dropped her off, when I had a little more margin to get ready for my day, I noticed myself thinking, "Maybe I could go for a walk. I could squeeze it in." Which was true. I could. And it really does make my day much better all day long if I get in some good hard exercise in the mornings. But then, I remembered that I'm a much less anxious person if I try to "be unhurried." So I decided to take a nice calming bath rather than taking a walk and then having a rushed shower. And I actually shaved my legs carefully for once instead of shaving in 15 seconds like normal. And it was so rejuvenating. (I'm not quite sure it was as rejuvenating as a good walk, but sometimes we have to pick our battles, as well as our happiness-inducers!)
Sometimes, too, "Be Unhurried" isn't really about changing my schedule. It's more about changing my attitude as I go about my day. I can breathe and say to myself, "I have enough time to get the important things done." I can smile and wink at my daughter as I get her into the car. I can play good music on my commute so I don't feel so rushed and crazy in traffic. I can try to notice beautiful things in nature as I drive to a meeting. And even if those things don't buy me time, they do make me feel less hurried. And that makes me happier.
So, today, how can you help yourself be unhurried? Can you leave 10 minutes early for your meeting and then take the time before your meeting starts to reward yourself with a little reading or just a brain break? Can you drop something off of your to-do list that was really too much to get done in one day? Can you cut yourself some slack here and there and realize that if the floor isn't swept before your friends come over, they're still your friends and who cares? Or can you just try to have an unhurried attitude throughout your normal busy day?
I'd love to hear what helps you "Be Unhurried!" Leave a comment below for me if you have ideas!
