We all lead busy lives, cramming more in each day in order to be successful.  We make lists, take short cuts, and look for every trick to be more efficient.  But in these past few weeks, I’ve really noticed something important about my multitasking, frantic “to do list” way of life.  It frequently puts me in a position of living life in a hurry.  And according to Carl Jung, “Hurry is not of the devil; hurry is the devil.”  Seems like pretty strong words, doesn’t it?  But as I thought about my hurry, I have to say, there is a lot to what he says.  The cost of being in a hurry is a far greater than I had realized.

I did a little experiment in thinking about this topic.  I made a point to really be aware of how my life goes when I’m in a hurry and when I’m not. When I’m in a hurry, life becomes about me.  For example, running to the grocery store to pick up something before I needed to be somewhere else, I became annoyed at the lack of parking spaces, I was frustrated that I could not find the right aisle for what I needed, and then I was extremely impatient with the checker who seemed to be too friendly with her customers, wasting my time.  Everything and everyone was judged in terms of how it was effecting me.  On another occasion, going to the very same store with time to spare, I had a very different experience.  I was happy to park a little farther away, taking a walk to enjoy the beauty of the day and the warmth of the sunshine.  I noticed a man looking confused and stopped to help him.  I chatted with a woman standing in line at the check out stand and even joked with the clerk.  My eyes were open to other’s needs and I actually felt happy connecting to strangers.

I noticed the same thing running late to a meeting.  Suddenly, the traffic lights were my enemy and the other drivers were competitors on the roadway.  I realized how I not only became a victim to everything around me, but how I felt entitled to control the world for my benefit alone! Others were obstacles rather than fellow travelers.  I was tense, annoyed, and judgmental.  Stressful?  Heck, yes!  But even more so, what I discovered was the effect being in a hurry had on my attitude, my relationships with other people, and with life in general.  It was a downright spiritual awakening!  You cannot live in the present when you are in a hurry.  You won’t notice beauty, connect with other people or other beings, and there is no way you can be in touch with yourself.  When you’re in a hurry, you’re focused on the outcome, mostly your own, and not the process.

So, can I say I won’t be in a hurry from now on and suddenly live a slower life?  Not likely.  But I am going to make it a goal to change some of my frantic ways.  If I leave a few minutes earlier, or choose to put off doing an errand to a day when I have more time, I reap so many more benefits than I realized.  And when I am in a hurry, I will take more responsibility for my attitude and its effects on other people.  What is that little sign people have on their desks?