I woke up this morning with a sense of urgency. There’s too much that I need to prepare and accomplish today. I worried that I wouldn’t be able to fit it all in. Then, I remembered something that I learned from poet Mark Nepo. A sense of urgency is an illusion.
The only way to get though is to slow down, not speed up. The more you feel like you can’t sit still, the more you need to do it. What we need most might just be the thing that’s making us feel that sense of urgency. When we refuse to accept it, that might be because it’s the hardest thing we can face.
“Now, more than ever, you need to breathe until your ounce of breath becomes the sky, again and again.” Nepo tells me. As I look out at the clear darkness studded with stars this morning before the sun rises, I know he’s right. I hear the sound of the horses munching their breakfast. I force myself to take a moment to just be here with the girls. Silk bumps my arm with her nose to include me in her world.
“The doorway to our next step of growth is always behind the urgency of now…Now, more than ever when the weights you carry seem tied to your wrists, you must not run or flail…. Love yourself the way you love your children or your dog or your dearest friend, without reservation. In this way, today with all it’s hardships will spill into tomorrow, and decisions will become as clear as streams thawing.” Thanks, Mark Nepo. Thanks, Silk, I needed that.
13 comments:
Your post was just the perfect thing for me to read this morning. The day has hardly begun and I'm already trying to catch up with myself. The "to do" list is just too long.
Now, I think I'll just wander back to the barn and let Royal teach me, again, the important things of life!
You saved my day! Thanks!
You sound like a wonderful animal lover. I too, have an appreciation of everything with 4 legs, but most especially our beautiful equine friends. Since you mentioned clicker training in an earlier post. I couldn't resist offering you to visit Parelli.com where you'll find natural horsemanship information. I have been a student of Pat Parelli's for many years and now have a much better understanding of my horses (6) personalities. Parelli's principles have helped me overcome some difficult behaviors from my hooved companions. If you decide not to visit Parelli.com that's fine, you'll never know what you missed.
Beautifully written posts....
Sure wish I would have read this post this morning. It may have saved me from running around all day like a headless chicken.
This is a great post and much needed for some of us to read. Thanks. And PS, I will post the award you gave me, thank-you, soon...It's been a busy week...And an unfortunate one for my best friend.
Hi Victoria,
Good news, you have been tagged again. I can just hear you saying "oh no not again", this one's not too bad, you might enjoy it. Stop by and see what it's all about.
Is this not something we should all heed? Yes, but of course that which we should heed is the hardest of all. Thank you for this lovely post - it's perfect for this time in my life, and no doubt many more lives. Hugs - Debi @ GHT
There is an old Amish saying," The hurrier I go, the behinder I get." and I have found it to be true also. Calm reflection is hard, when all I want to do is hurry up already!
Today I needed this lesson. Please thank Silk for me.
I wonder how you do it Victoria. Wrestle so much meaning out of the seemingly ordinary and routine. I can only account for it by saying that you are one Zen kind of lady. It makes so much sense what this man says. It also puts me in mind of a saying my dad always (even to this day) repeats to me. Slowly for I must make haste. In other words, by slowing down, we end up hurrying up the things that need hurrying. I try and think of that saying whenever I feel my energizer bunny persona coming on. Without fail, it works.
Very timely post.
Thank you.
Your post was a great thing for me this morning - it reminded me, that I HAVE to get rid of this awfull feeling of urgency. I will go back to meditations again - even 10 minutes gives instant relief. Thanks,
A very good reminder that all we ever really have is our own breath, and even that for too short a time. Thank you.
It's easy in this busy world of ours to get caught up in the turmoil. I think that's what the big appeal to horses is for me, a respite from all the commotion.
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