What's the Rush?

Sometimes you just have to slow down. This is one lesson I need to keep re-learning. It seems like I’m always in a rush. . I leave things to the last minute so the stress builds before racing through whatever needs doing.  Longer time doesn’t necessarily mean a better quality product with me.  In some ways I need that pressure to get my gears going. But in some ways I don’t. 

I’ve been traveling this past week for work. I got back to my hotel room at midnight last night after meeting a friend of the family’s and my exhaustion was more than the late hour could account for. I thought back to earlier in the week. I spent two hours just unwinding, wonder what it was I was in a rush to get through security. To get on the plane. To get off the plane at my connection. To grab a bite for my next flight. To get to baggage claim for my luggage than in a taxi so I could speed to my hotel and sleep before work the next day. And that was just on the way there. There were pockets of down time during my trip but I spent most of those moments just waiting for what I had to do next. A meeting, lunch, plans with a friend. I had a great time, but lots of hurry up and (impatiently) wait.

This morning, I woke up in my room a little early for the breakfast plans I had made. A delicious feeling swept over me as I stretched in bed. I was in a comfy hotel room by myself with lots of time and no need to hurry out of bed. For the first time in a long time, I just drank it in. Breakfast was fun, but my companions own early travel plans meant that I had a few hours to kill before I had to head to the airport. I’ll admit, I did look for an earlier flight. But as it would mean rushing through breakfast, I just accepted the pocket of time rather than trying to be efficient in getting back home.  I went back to my room and gathered my things. Leisurely. I went to the airport and wandered around. The security guy and I shared a birthday and exchanged pleasant words and smiles. Rather than focus on getting to my gate, I observed the people around me. I exchanged pleasantries with the gate agent and got a row to myself. And here I sit. On the plane writing (in-flight Wi-Fi).  I still have half the flight to go, but really don’t mind. The difference between flight out west and my flight back east is subtle on paper. But my energy and mood is amazingly more relaxed.  I might even take a nap before we land.

I don’t know what clicked this morning, but I’m sure glad it did.