I’ve always been a go, go go type of girl. I like the rush. I like getting caught up in all the things I have to do, all the places I have to be. I like crossing things off my to-do list and feeling accomplished as I get through more than I expected.

There’s something about the rush of life that excites me. Knowing what I’m capable of makes me feel strong, empowered, and busy. And I like being busy, as strange as that sounds. I like feeling purposeful.

But life rushes at us fast. There’s always so much happening, so many decisions to make, and so many things were supposed to have figured out.

Sometimes we get caught up in it.

So much so that we overlook the beautiful things in life. We overlook people and our relationships with them. We overlook our true desires and feelings. We overlook simple, wonderful things.

And sometimes we overlook the fact that we are pointlessly rushing through our days instead of slowing down to just relish in our existence on this incredible earth.

Sometimes we’re trying so hard to do good, that we’re not actually happy.

And I think I finally realized that this past week. I was rushing. I was running 100 miles in the wrong direction, full speed ahead, just trying to get everything done. I was making lists and crossing items off. I was feeling like I was getting somewhere, but really I was going nowhere fast.

I was feeling incomplete. I was tired. I was doing so much but I wasn’t feeling accomplished or purposeful or even productive.

I just felt empty.

And that’s what happens when we get caught up in the quick motion of life. We try so hard to get through things rather than slow down and appreciate where we are.

Sometimes you just have to slow down. You have to take a moment to breathe, to say, ‘I’m sorry, I can’t do that right now,’ or ‘I’ll do that later.’ You have to give yourself the permission to say no, or walk away when you’re in over your head.

You have to acknowledge when you’re stressed and give yourself a break.

You have to know who you are and be proud of who you are, without killing yourself to get things done. Because there’s more to life than getting things done.

Slow down for a moment.

That doesn’t make you weak. That doesn’t mean you’ve failed. And there’s nothing wrong with you.

Sometimes we all need a ‘pause’ button.
You can always hit ‘restart’ and begin again.