Give yourself permission to slow down

I see you. I see you at the red light, at the bank drive through. I see you at the park with your kids or date night with your wife. I see you as you pull into the church parking lot or into the supermarket. I see you and I see how fast you're rushing things.

I see your desperation as you move from one task to the next at a breakneck speed. Slow down. 

Just breathe. Just take one minute to stop what you're doing, close your eyes and breathe. 

It is okay to be busy and to enjoy being busy. But I think it is so easy to fall into a trap of manufactured busyness. Being busy for the sake of being busy. I know I do it all the time. 

I push aside the important things because I am "too busy" with other things. 

And during those periods I realize, my plate is full but my soul feels empty.

I do have a lot on my plate right now. But I realize that some of that I can scrape off and save for later. 

Each of us has to decide for ourselves the level of importance we are to give each task we assign ourselves. There are certain non-negotiables, bills have to be paid, children have to be fed and cleaned. But where do our priorities lie in the midst of the other things we find filling up our time and space. 

I urge you, dear friend, to remove one thing from your to do list this week. Take out one distraction. Say no to one request. And instead just allow yourself a moment to feel, relax and spend time on what truly matters to you.