Life Is Not a Race, Take Some Me-Time

I saw this on one of the women entrepreneurs blogs I follow on Twitter (@womenonthefence) and just had to share it.

SLOW DANCE.

“Have you ever watched kids
on a merry-go-round
Or listened to the rain
slapping on the ground?

Ever followed a butterfly’s erratic flight
Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?
You better slow down
Don’t dance so fast
Time is short
The music won’t last

Do you run through each day
on the fly
When you ask “How are you?”
do you hear the reply?

When the day is done,
do you lie in your bed
With the next hundred chores
running through your head?

You’d better slow down
Don’t dance so fast
Time is short
The music won’t last

Ever told your child,
We’ll do it tomorrow
And in your haste,
not see his sorrow?

Ever lost touch,
Let a good friendship die
‘Cause you never had time
to call and say “Hi”?

You’d better slow down
Don’t dance so fast
Time is short
The music won’t last

When you run so fast to get somewhere
You miss half the fun of getting there.
When you worry and hurry through your day,
It is like an unopened gift….
Thrown away…

Life is not a race.
Do take it slower
Hear the music
Before the song is over.”

Everyone is always on the run and on the go. We have to get out of the house and not miss traffic. Gotta make this meeting or my boss is gonna kill me. I have to make these brownies tonight for my kids bake sale tomorrow. I have to study right now to get into a great college. Can I make a 15 min run today after a long day of work?

There is always something that you are going to feel like you need to be in a rush for, but really what we all need to do is SLOW DOWN.

I really have to credit my mom with this, too. It doesn't matter where we are or where we're going, you will always hear her say "What's the rush? We're going to get there eventually." It doesn't matter if there is a five car pile up or just 5 o'clock traffic, she is as cool as a cucumber. Thank you mom for teaching me the patience I have—but could always have more.

Chris and I have had a lot of things happen to us, good and bad, but we are on a mission to just slow down, take life as it comes and live our life day to day—not in the past. That was one of the main reasons we left Houston. To put it in Chris' words "We were tired of the rat race." Sitting in traffic every day, always rushing some where. So we definitely slowed things down, Maui style, and loved it while we were there. Fast forward to present time: Dealing with moving two times, up rooting our lives, leaving our friends and families, not having a job, several family health scares, death of a very close friend, births of our friends babies, a new group of friends, air mattress and college living for a week, getting to know a new city— so yes, we have been through A LOT. But there is always time to S-L-O-W D-O-W-N.

Take time during your day, kiss your kids and parents, call a friend, listen to music for 10 mins, send a "just thinking of you" text to your significant other, take some me time and slow down.

Something Chris and I love doing is we have a date night set every week (thanks Loni!). No matter your schedule, set date night every week with your sig other and stick to it. We also do a Taco Tuesday. We look forward to these things every week. No matter how fast or crazy our lives have been.

So slow down and take a deep breath. You will always get to where you're going.

What me-time will you initiate this week for yourself and/or with your loved ones?