“Listen to your being. It is continuously giving you hints; it is a still, small voice. It does not shout at you, …” ― Osho Rajneesh

 

I was at Sam’s Club. As soon as I passed the sliding doors, I grabbed the nearest shopping cart and started pushing it, heading straight down to the back area of this gigantic place. I was on a mission. I had two more stops to go after this, “I need … I need … I need …” A string of things on my to-do list. The days fly by fast when there are so many on the list to tackle. “I must be home by 11 A.M.  I cannot miss an important appointment.” Half-way down the aisle I realized the shopping cartwheels were not moving smoothly. It created screeching sound every now and then. Some people were looking at me, but I kept moving on. “I am on a mission” Remember? “I only have two areas to hit, and I am out of here.” I kept pushing the cart, sometimes lifting it up a little so the wheels would line up again.

In 10 minutes, I was out of the store, headed to my car, transferred the goods into the trunk, and settled behind the wheel. Then I noticed something. I noticed what I just experienced. In and out of Sam’s; 10 minutes, 732 steps, pushing unaligned-screeching shopping cart. I could feel I was panting a bit. I took a few comfortable breaths and asked myself, “What was that about, Inge?”

Think about a time when you are pushing through life feeling unsettled, rushed, with an uneven flow. The feeling of unaligned wheels of life, yet pushing through anyway, every day. In what other areas of life does this experience show up?  Think about this for a moment.

Imagine going through life with a long list of things to do. Everything seems urgent these days. How many are really important? How many are serving your dream, the people you love, those that matter to you?

More often than not, we are aware when the thought first shows up, and we disregard it. (I just did at Sam’s). “Why bother to go back and pick another cart, I would be out of here quickly anyway?” That is usually the rationale, the excuse. And we pushed on.

Imagine going through the day with such an excuse. One excuse is followed by another, and another, and on … and on … and on. The days add up into weeks, months, and then years. The excuses become common and acceptable.

Beware.

Notice what you think and feel.

Life speaks to you. Your still, small voice speaks to you. That voice is not frantic, panic, or rushing. It is calm, it is still, it is small. It is easy to dismiss. So, don’t.

Let’s start a to-be list instead. And let’s begin now …

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