There was a period of time when I rushed almost everything I did, even rest, which, as it turns out, rather defeats the object. Back then though life demanded it.
Being a busy mum to eight children (most of whom are now adults) meant speed wasn’t an option, it was a necessity. Schedules had to be met, meals to make, laundry to do, errands to run, homework to help with… and somehow, everyone suddenly needed something, usually at exactly the same time.
Life was a little loud. It was fast. And my heart was incredibly full, but so was the to-do list, and that didn’t leave much time to stop, breathe, or fully appreciate the moment.
If I’m completely honest, I didn’t even realise at the time that I was rushing through life. It didn’t feel like it, just a little hectic. But it also felt good. Productive. Necessary. After all, I was doing exactly what any “good mum” does. I was trying my best to keep life moving forward, for all of us.
As the years passed and the children started to grow up, I began to notice that always being busy wasn’t actually as beneficial as I thought. And that slowing down could actually be a positive thing, despite what I often told myself, it didn’t mean I was being lazy!
Nowadays, although it’s not always possible, there are certain things I try not to rush anymore, such as…
I don’t rush Clarity and Decisions…
Some things need a little space before they make sense. and rushing things rarely brings the right outcome, more often than not it just creates noise and doubt rather than wisdom.
Sitting in the “I’m not sure” space used to make me feel really impatient, and sometimes it still does. But I am learning to see it differently. I’m learning that patience is not wasted time, it can actually be incredibly beneficial.
I don’t rush My Body (it doesn’t let me!)…
After years of moving from one thing straight to the next without time to pause, my body eventually found its voice.
Sometimes it whispered through tiredness.
Sometimes it spoke in aches and pains.
And sometimes it shouted, very loudly, that I needed to slow down!
I’ve learnt that listening to these signals early on is far kinder, and far more effective, than trying to push through them. After all, our body is not an obstacle to overcome, it’s a messenger wanting to be heard.
I don’t rush Healing (or should I say I try not to!)…
Now this is a big one, and one that I’m still working on. Healing is not an event to tick off a to-do list. It can’t be hurried, organised, or completed on schedule. It asks us for patience, for gentleness, and for compassion towards ourselves. And often, it asks us to rest for longer than we might wish.
I don’t rush Happiness…
For a long time, I believed happiness was something we had to build through effort, something we earned by staying busy and keeping everything running smoothly, working hard enough to create the right kind of life.
I thought it lived somewhere in the years ahead of me.
In the well-kept home.
The secure future.
The perfect happy relationship.
The version of me who was finally well, healthy and no longer afraid.
So, I kept moving. Kept doing. Kept striving.
But slowing down has taught me something really important…
It’s taught me that happiness isn’t waiting at some distant finish line.
And it was never hiding inside perfection.
It’s always been here!
I had simply been moving way too quickly to fully notice it. So now I allow myself the space to pause, to connect, to fully recognise and appreciate the very spaces I once rushed past such as…
A quiet morning with a cup of coffee that I actually drink while it’s still warm, a long conversation and spending time with my children, the relief of not needing to race out of the front door, and the understanding that a moment, just as it is, is simply enough.
It’s the sound of the birds singing, the warmth of the sun, the laughter of my grandchildren. Happiness, I’ve learned, is not something waiting to be built, it’s simply waiting to be noticed.
And so, although my life is still busy, I’m learning that not everything needs to be rushed. Some moments are meant to be walked slowly, with presence.
With warmth, love, and light,
Liz xx