By Dr. Marta Adelsman
Life Coach in Communication and Consciousness
www.DrMartaCoach.com
(March 28, 2014)
The clock let me know in no uncertain terms that my usual bedtime had come and gone. My brain felt tired and foggy as I sat at my computer, struggling to stay awake enough to complete the project on which I worked. Yet I didn’t perceive that I had a choice.
My thoughts kept pounding, “You have to get this done now!” The more I attempted to focus and concentrate, the more resistant and irritable I felt.
“Wait a minute!” an inner voice interjected. “Who are you trying to convince that you have to get this done? And who is attempting to do the convincing?” Suddenly the whole scene appeared to me as nothing but a script being played in my mind, part of an act in a stage play. The pressure contained no truth, no substance behind it. I saw the thoughts as nothing but vapor disappearing into thin air.
I realized I didn’t really have to do this now. So I closed my program, shut down the computer for the night, and with a great sense of relief, I went to bed.
Believing the thought that I had to get this done now had led me into the drama of resistance, pressure and hurry.
Pressure created anxiety. Thinking, “What if I don’t get this done in time?” took me out of the present moment. I imagined consequences in the future that hadn’t even happened. Feeling anxious, I couldn’t possibly stay focused on the task at hand.
Pressure can result in mistakes. With my mind bolting ahead into the next step instead of focusing on this step, I made frustrating errors. Correcting the mistakes took up the time I thought I saved by hurrying.
By succumbing to the mind’s “have-to,” I had placed myself in a sort of prison created by my resistance to the demand. The more I felt pressure and hurry, the smaller the cell became and the more the pressure increased.
The way out in this instance necessitated backing off. Listening to my “higher self” and stopping altogether relieved my anxiety and enabled me to know peace. When I revisited the project the next day, I completed it easily in a minimum amount of time with no resistance or anxiety.
A couple of days later, I came across this quote by St. Francis de Sales: “Never be in a hurry. Do everything quietly and with a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems to be upset.”
Please don’t take my word for it, that you can unveil Peace by stepping away from the pressure. Practice letting go for yourself. Allow Peace to lead you. Then determine if what you read here is true.
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2 Comments
“Do few things and do them well, take your time go slowly…”— A song from the movie about St. Francis–“Brother Sun, Sister Moon” from the 70’s— Did you ever see it? That song goes through my head in periods of stress— and I have added my own words to the melody….”:Mother Earth will guide you on….take your time go slowly…” Ahhh…I take a deep breath and put things in perspective,,,, as you did with your article.
This is such an important lesson in today’s instantaneous-get-it-done-immediately-(and probably post it online!) world that we live in today. Thanks for sharing the message.
I remember you from attending Unity of Sedona a few years ago. You disappeared along with multiple other great people since then….so much tumult, but I was not an insider as I am just a part-timer here in Sedona. But when I am here I am still spiritually hungry….do you have a good church or place of spirituality/gathering that you recommend? Have you been able to find community that is not disruptive and that really feeds your soul?
Thanks for your reply, Elaine. I’m glad that these lessons are working in you, too, and I appreciate the encouragement that you have given me to continue writing about this stuff! Please email me your email address and I’ll reply to your 2nd paragraph question there (drmartacoach@gmail.com).