Have you noticed that the world has moved into the final gear? It's as if from our birth we have information flowing into us from the world. The further along in life we get, the more information coming in quicker and quicker.
I envision it as driving and old Ford truck with five gears. Here's the secret. There comes a point when we can't gear up anymore. We are in full internal processing everything as quickly as we can and then it happens. We hit the edge that seems like it becomes too much.
This is a world of overwhelm and it stresses out every part of who we are. This is not a deep and profound philosophy. Overwhelm wears on us. It erodes and washes away balance and self-care. It becomes an approach that we take on in our task of life. It is filled with ego and judgment. It's overwhelm and we should be able to handle it.
In my case, I have been taught that when the going gets tough we just go harder and longer and get things done. 'This is not a balanced approach to accomplishment. It is about production. My first construction job involved coming in two hours early to get things done just from a balanced start. It is about getting items off our check list so we can mover onto the other items of production.
Every step of overwhelm circles around stepping out of the hamster wheel. Stop the running to pause before the next step.
I knew a teacher that used to love to give a particular test to his students. In it were a set of instructions about taking the test; they numbered twenty and number one stated all the instructions must be read prior to starting the test. Number 20 said to start the test.
However if alll the instructions were read, number 18 said ignore all the instructions, put your name at the top of the page and turn in the paper. In a class of 35 only three did the instructions correctly.
It is time to take life on from the authentic 'you'. Remember overwhelm is only a state of mind. We can choose to participate without taking it on. Let it flow past us as we let the river of life provide the flow; we do not want to row upstream stroke by stroke. It's too much work.
What a lovely day!
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