Remember that classic song by Alabama that goes like this:
I’m in a hurry to get things done Oh, I rush and rush until life’s no fun All I really gotta do is live and die Even I’m in a hurry and don’t know why
This oldie but goodie made it onto my place list this past spring when I was on a country song sing-a-loud kick to keep me alert during my long drives. Looking back, I’m pretty sure God was pricking my heart with every lyric to this catchy tune.
I have to drive so fast My car has nothing to prove It’s not new But it’ll do 0 to 60 in 5.2, oh
Yes, that was me just six months ago, zipping all over the place. The pressures of grad school and internships were no doubt a massive contributing factor, but the reality is that hurry has been my normal pace for my whole life.
Until now.
Last week, I noticed that I wasn’t driving so fast, which caught me by surprise. Who was this woman not irritated by the slow traffic on the road?
I was not in a hurry.
Turns out I’m experiencing the rest I set out to claim for myself in this second half of the summer, even while continuing to see clients! There is margin because I scheduled it months ago.
The rhythms of rest are becoming my norm! I’m riding more. I’m watching the Olympics without multitasking on the computer. The “to-do” list is short! Even in this pre-wedding week, there is downtime.
I’m feeling my body exhale and my mind clear in a way I never knew was possible.
While I’ve had seasons of RESToration with unhurried living over the last decade, this time it is different.
Why?
Because rest is not a task I’m resisting. It is a gift I’m receiving.
What about you? Does rest feel like a chore? Does slowing down feel impossible under the tyranny of the urgent?
I get it. But what I’ve discovered through my personal therapy journey as well as what I see in my clients, is this:
The reason we resist rest may be the result of a subconscious survival response.
The avoidance of rest — the habit of hurry — is a way of being for many who have endured unprocessed trauma, especially the kind that is hidden behind the veil of emotional neglect.
I know that is a strong statement. For many of you, you’re about to hit delete and move on. Either you don’t think what you went through qualifies as emotional neglect or you are simply not ready to take hurry off the trophy stand.
What if your way of being in this world is not a result of your wiring, personality, and values but rather survival?
Yes, it is possible that the way you developed a driven, striving, independent, work-a-holic, volunteerism or ministry-minded work ethic is that you discovered that “doing” makes you feel safe, needed, and seen.
To slow down, to give up all you are doing, and embrace simply being feels unsafe and unnatural.
And yet, you’re on the brink of burnout. You’re exhausted. You’re irritated, frustrated, and downright cranky.
You know there is more to life but you don’t know how to get to the other side.
Well, as one who knows this all too well and is discovering an entirely new way of living . . . and resting . . . I’m here for you.
It’s time to hit pause on the hurry to discover a new way of living.
Let’s hop on a call to determine if coaching, therapy, EMDR Intensive, or a ​Restorative Retreat​ is the best next step for you.
Click here to ​request an appointment​!
Together, let’s arise, stabilize, and thrive in every area of our lives.
In this together,
Lisa
