Note 041
We were doing our first-of-the-month reports at work when my coworker looked at me and said:
“Oh wow, the year is going by so fast.”
I laughed and agreed.
Because it really does feel that way.
Then I told her about something I noticed while I was shopping the other day.
Fall decorations are already everywhere.
Halloween is out.
Pumpkin everything has arrived.
And some stores—you know the ones—already have Christmas sitting on the shelves.
Christmas!
We haven’t even made it through summer yet.
And it made me think…
Are we rushing through life without even realizing it?
It feels like we’re constantly being pushed toward the next thing.
The next season.
The next holiday.
The next sale.
The next trend.
The next milestone.
The next goal.
The next version of ourselves.
And somewhere along the way, we can forget to actually be where we are.
Technically, we still have a few weeks of summer left.
And where I live?
We’ve been under a heat advisory for seven days and counting.
So believe me…
It is still summer over here.
But this isn’t really about the calendar.
It’s about how easily we allow the world around us to create a sense of urgency about our lives.
Social media can make you feel like you’re behind.
Society can make you feel like you should have accomplished certain things by a certain age.
Marketing is constantly telling us what we need next.
And sometimes we start rushing ourselves through seasons that we haven’t even finished experiencing.
We start thinking:
“I should be further along.”
“I should have figured this out by now.”
“Everyone else is doing this.”
“What’s next?”
But what if this is still your season?
What if you’re supposed to be learning something here?
What if you’re supposed to enjoy where you are before worrying about where you’re going?
What if you don’t need to rush?
Let the season be the season.
I’m learning that there is something beautiful about allowing life to unfold without constantly trying to get ahead of it.
Enjoy the summer while it’s summer.
Enjoy your children while they’re this age.
Enjoy your marriage in the season it’s in.
Enjoy your home before you decide you need a new one.
Enjoy the career you’re building.
Enjoy the quiet season.
Enjoy the busy season.
Enjoy the rebuilding season.
Enjoy the starting-over season.
You don’t have to rush through one chapter because you’re excited about the next.
And you certainly don’t have to live according to someone else’s timeline.
A Note for Today
Don’t let the world rush you through your own life.
You don’t have to be in a hurry just because everyone else seems to be.
There is still time.
There is still room to grow.
There is still room to change your mind.
And there is still plenty of life left to live.
So take a breath.
Look around.
Be where your feet are.
The next season will arrive when it’s supposed to.
And when it does…
We’ll be ready.
Until the next note,
Your Resident Overthinker