Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Do You Find Yourself to be a Habitual Rusher?

A passage from the Tao te Ching that inspired me today:
"He who stands on tiptoe
doesn't stand firm.
He who rushes ahead
doesn't go far.
He who tries to shine
dims his own light.
He who defines himself
can't know who he really is.
He who has power over others
can't empower himself.
He who clings to his work
will create nothing that endures.

If you want to accord with the Tao, 
just do your job, then let it go."

This passage speaks to me in so many ways.  Lately, I have watched myself get really frustrated around my work.  Around it not moving as quickly as I would like it to, not bringing in all the clients I would like to work with and projects I have been working on for months still not come to fruition.  I have watched this frustration really bother me and cause a lot of stress that I put on myself.

I have been in the past a habitual rusher.  I have always kind of felt this nudge in the back of my mind saying do more, keep going, there is always something to do, rush rush rush.  The crazy thing is that I despise rushing.  I don't feel good when I do and it never turns out.  I know from all those times that I don't rush, that I am in the flow of nature and life, how much better I feel and how everything that I need to get done and every where I have to be happens very easily.  I am more present and have more to give.

I have also learned to really slow down during this Mercury in Retrograde that is happening right now. It is a time where communication can get confused, where contracts really should not get signed and where things just generally work better when we slow down and not rush them.  I feel like there should be workshops on how to slow down, The Art of Slowing down.  I feel like as a society we have all lost that ability to slow down, to pause, to check in with our self and to allow.  We all need to learn how to slow down again.

"He who tries to shine dims his own light."  Also rings very true for me, the whole bit about rushing, clinging to your work and trying to make things happen instead of just doing your work and letting it go really hits home for me.  When it comes to my business and what I am passionate about I feel like I do cling to it, I do try to control the outcome, I do rush through my to do list to make sure I get it all done.  Instead of just doing the work and letting it go.  Plain and simple.  No clinging, no trying, no rushing, just letting it be.  As long as we are clinging to our work and trying to control the outcome of anything we are never going to get the results that we are hoping for.  Everything in life is backwards!  That is what I find.  Everything you think you should be doing to get what you want, usually tends to be what is keeping you from fully receiving it.

This passage is going to be my work this month.  I am going to commit to doing the work and letting it go.  I am going to commit to not rushing or clinging to my work.

Can we do the work and then let it go?  What are your fears around doing that?  How does that look for you?  I would love to hear your comments below.

Keep shining,
Erin