Rushing

There are so many sources of inspiration and words of wisdom in the world, and I am a subscriber to the notion that we hear what we need to hear when we are ready to hear it.

I experienced this during a retreat led by renowned western Buddhist teachers Joseph Goldstein and Sharon Salzberg. Joseph talked about the distinction between rushing and moving quickly.

Immediately this intrigued me. I am a natural ‘rusher,’ meaning I often move from one thing to the next without pausing between tasks or even thinking about the one just completed. Joseph describes rushing as a state of mind; a habit carried in our nervous system that propels us toward the next thing somewhat mindlessly.

There is a seductive temporary satisfaction in rushing; the anticipation of a positive experience and then the experience itself – both release the neurotransmitter dopamine, which facilitates feelings of pleasure. But the pleasure is short-lived because rather than thoroughly enjoying the experience by being present to it, we are leaning forward into the next thing.

We abandon the moment we are in, and there is a loss in missing the present moment.

Joseph describes a phenomenon he sees at retreats when, after a morning of meditation and quiet contemplation, when the lunch bell rings, people get up with such eager anticipation of getting to the dining hall quickly that they are blind to what is still happening in the present moment.

Rushing is often associated with moving quickly, but one can have that internal sense of rushing while sitting still at a desk or even while meditating. Conversely, one can move quickly with a calm, fully present state of mind - without rushing.

Several months ago, I set an intention to notice when I am rushing and intentionally choose not to rush. It feels really liberating!

A clear place this plays out for me is in cooking. I used to cook in a somewhat tense way – trying to quickly move through one task to get to the next and often doing multiple things at once. I didn’t even realize I had this attitude. Calling on my intention not to rush, I now feel peaceful inside when I cook; I enjoy every vegetable I chop, every period of standing at the stove and stirring, every dish I wash to clean up. It’s relaxing.

I used to pride myself on being a great multi-tasker; I was good at it! Now I try to do one thing at a time whenever possible. Yes, I still sometimes listen to books or podcasts when I take a walk, but I no longer listen to things while I cook or move back and forth between tasks at my desk; I find that distracting and draining. When I focus on one thing at a time, I feel peaceful, refreshed, and more alive. I get just as much done, and I feel better doing it.

In the absence of rushing, there is a spaciousness that can allow an emotion to be met, a creative spark to fly, or simply contentment with accepting the moment as it is.

Try it out sometime and see how it feels …

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