The Habit of Hurrying

AA wrote: Som jag känner igen mig! Men även jag har ändrat mig. Mest noterbart är det när jag äter. Efter måltiden vet jag vad jag ätit och hur det smakade - tänk att det inte alltid varit så!!

The Habit of Hurrying

Suppose you have the habit of getting into a hurried state while doing such things as shopping or cooking. With mindfulness you recognise that you are rushing around and knocking things over, trying to finish quickly. Then you realise that the energy of being in a hurry has manifested itself. So you breathe in and out mindfully, and you say, “My dear habit energy, here you are again”. And as soon as you recognise it, it will lord its strength. 

If the energy comes back again, you do this again, and it will continue to lose its strength. You don’t have to fight the energy, just recognise it and smile at it. Every time you recognise it, it becomes a little bit weaker, until eventually it can’t control you anymore. 

Thich Nhat Hanh: Answers From the Heart

For as long as I remember, I have been a hurrying person. Yes, I got a lot of things done, but at what price? “Knocking things over”, becoming restless and impatient and even stressed out. 

What is the meaning of rushing around and doing many things in a hurry, when you’re not really THERE for them? Being in a hurry most often means that your mind  is also in a hurry: it's one step ahead, thinking of the next task on the list.

When I got in touch with Buddhism and started learning about doing things with mindfulness and living in the Here and Now, things slowly started to change.  However, my habit energy was very strong and I still sometimes fall back into the old rhythm, but nowadays I often notice it. Then I relax, drop my shoulders, and smile at my habit energy. And yes,the habit energy gets a little weaker every time :-)