Do you see yourself going through life slow and steady or racing about with great speed? One on my many observations about people is that each of us has different rhythms of living. How we pace ourselves in life generally is perfectly fitted to our own unique personalities. For those of you who know me, I have probably described myself to you as a little escargot. Seems like I do not do anything fast in this life, except maybe walk. At times I seem perfectly content to do nothing but just contemplate. I find myself even contemplating what to contemplate!
I use to drive my poor mother crazy in the mornings waiting for me to get dressed for school. Often she would find me with my sock half on dangling and lost in thought. For some of us life seems almost timeless and yet I have noticed as I have gotten older, I do seem to have more presence of time, although I still do not wear a watch.
Although I feel more of an urgency in life, as the years pile on, I still retain my slow as a snail rhythm. There have been moments where time seems suspended and I have been pulled into a time warp, as when I once missed a plane because I was so absorbed in a book.
The same thing happens when I am so entrenched with a patient, and am always astonished how much time has passed. So my particular rhythm is perfect for what I love to do. Besides healing can never be done in the confines of time.
I must admit how at times I would love to be the jack rabbit. Bursting with tremendous energy, they are the movers and shakers of the world. Always busy and on the move. They are the task tacklers supreme. It is always hard to keep up with them.
I have had some patients who are such incredible accomplishers that they could put all of us to shame. What they accomplish in a day, maybe I would do in a month. They make up these monumental lists for the day and by God they get it done! Absolutely amazing!
None of us choose whether we are going to be a snail or a jack rabbit. It is mostly in our genetic makeup , but can be “somewhat” moulded by our parents efforts. My mother never succeed with me, but I have seen others driven to be a certain way more out of fear and pressure.
Both are good, and each one has its merits and downsides. Speed ridden souls have the gift of quick decisions that allow them to take on multiple actions at once with stride. They multitask with ease. They generally have clear mental guidelines of what they want to do and stick with their schedules. Excellent in business and financial matters, where acute decisions count.
They are the list makers of the world and will feel compelled to cross off each task by the end of the day. They certainly get a lot done in such a short period of time. They could write books on time management!
These busy bees can get so caught up in doing and accomplishing though, that they lose sight of who they are. Some of them measure their self-worth solely on their accomplishments, and will feel less than or even failure when they are not able to do everything planned. They do not know how to just be.
High performers risk running so fast through the day, they are unable to really slow down enough to savor life little joys. Their mind runs too fast to be able to slowly digest the moment. This can be troublesome in relationships as they may have a difficult time being present with their partner. They may come across as a task maker creating friction with their companions, expecting them to be as productive as they are. They also have hard time meditating, because they can’t quiet their mind.
The little snail and turtles of the world are wonderful for reflection and listening and they do this very well indeed. They are valued in relationships for these traits as they are able to make others feel they are the centers of their world. Their capacity to focus on whoever they are with breeds intimacy and warmth. Patience is their virtue. Counseling, pastoring, and artistic pursuits can suit them well.
The tasks and accomplishments they do achieve are usually extremely well thought out and have been stewing around in their mind for a while. Impulsivity is not their game, so their path is well-chosen for safety and success. Steady persistence keeps them on track.
They move slow enough through life to savor whatever is of joy, be it a delicious meal or the delights of a beautiful wine. They can float and dream in the clouds of life and feel nourishment from life’s little treasures here and there.
The downside of going at snail’s pace can be the tendency to put off taking action when needed. Procrastination is prevalent because of the manana thinking. Putting things off because there is always tomorrow can be a trap towards not accomplishing things on time.
Too much reflection can lead to indecision and even paralyse their dreams. Before long they may find an opportunity has passed and loss. Their passivity keeps them stuck too long with their ideas, and may drain them emotionally. They could benefit from being impulsive here and there to recharge the momentum of their life.
Marva Wright, the late New Orleans blues singer has a song I just adore. The lyrics fit me to a T; “baby, I ain’t built for speed, just comfort”. Comfort is a state of mind we all seek and yet, a lot of you, including myself can get stuck in our own little safe comfort. Sometimes we have to push ourselves out of our comfort zone into the unknown.
Whether we are a snail or jack rabbit, we can all get stuck in the rut of routine. be it doing or just being. It is certainly easier to just do our little routine in life and call it a day, yet outside our routine window is a world we do not know and have not lived. At times it is good to shake things up a bit and be different for a day.
Under pressure and with deadlines, I can speed up, as much as the rabbit slows down with exhaustion. So whether we are a snail or tortoise, or a rabbit or hare; we are what we are. Both adorable wouldn’t you say!