Life is Not an Emergency

They are laminated and on my wall, two printables from Ann Voskamp’s blog, A Holy Experience.

I’m a reluctant Voskamp fan. If you’ve been reading this blog for oh, say, 10 minutes, you’ll note that our writing styles are wildly different and she is much more capable of deep thought on a regular basis than I! It’s that depth of character she has in her writing that brings me back, makes me chew on the thought, and ultimately changes my life.

If you haven’t read Voskamp’s book, 1,000 Gifts, I recommend you pick it up and put her suggestions into practice! This book literally changed my perspective on how to be thankful when I read it a year ago. It was through that book I found her website and the lists I have laminated and stuck to my wall above the antique secretary and below the chore chart.

10 Helps for Really Busy Moms and 10 Point Manifesto for Joyful Parenting. These are the two pages I will read on the days my brain isn’t clicking correctly and my temper is teetering out of control.

I’d like to share a few of these items with you, my take on what they look like in real life.

The first? Life is not an emergency. Life’s a gift. Just slow.

It’s incredibly difficult for me to sit still. I think I’ve always been this way – even my quiet, still times have been filled with speed-reading my way through a book.

This attitude tends to make me pretty productive, but it has also translated into an unhealthy habit — I get really frustrated when things don’t get done in an extremely efficient manner.

I view a lack of housekeeping mastery as a character flaw.

Being late for meetings is occasionally a cause to be frustrated to tears.

I’ve found myself being so task-oriented I don’t take the time to simply enjoy the simple things in life. I can be so focused on getting the next thing done I don’t stop to include the kids in the journey, leaving an exhausted, disconnected mama at the end of the day.

Why do I do this? Life is not an emergency.

Life is designed to be fully experienced. It’s not supposed to be lived with blazing red and blue lights and sirens. This daily breathing should not be a cause for stress.

I’m going to do my best to remember to Be Still. Breathe. Experience. Pray.

Do you find yourself rushing from one task to another as though it’s an emergency? What techniques do you use combat this attitude?

This post was originally published January 17, 2013 and is being recycled as part of the “I’ve Been Around” summer! Hope you enjoyed it and I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!