Are we rushing through life ?

I had a good experience to share with all of you.  It had been raining for the past 30 days, alternating between sunshine in the morning and rain in the afternoon or the whole day raining. The mood have been gloomy and wet. Human being belongs to the dry land, otherwise, we would be living in the sea like the fishes. Traffic have been heavy in these few days due to the extended holidays co-inciting with the celebration of Eid, a Muslim religion holiday.  I read in the news that there are about 2.5 million people in Mecca performing the Haj.  Ow! it must be jam packed. The feeling is the same in Penang as cars packed the road as tourist poured into Penang.

Most of us are on the rush especially when we are working or rushing to carry out a task or doing something. Before the start of our trip or routine, we have already a plan or agenda in our mind and at the start, we want to complete all the task in the fastest time. We mapped our journey in our head and we rush through the wide and narrow lane  and we overtake on the left and the right , we squeeze in between the cars to have a clear way and we honk and curse when someone jump lane in front of you, we get upset when other people did the things we do to get ahead. We have the right of the way.

I have gone through all these traps and I think I have mellow much. If you video tapped the situation, you will realize that it is so meaningless and funny.  It had been a torture at your own choice. We are tensed up and stressed and we have been doing these countless times and never learn. At the end of our life, when our body and mind  had worn out, we asked our self why?  We took supplements to balance back our mind and body when in the first place, it was already balance. Human being struggle so hard to earn their money and spend most and all of it to cure themselves.  This is the irony of life.

Coming to my experience, my wife had an appointment at 3pm and we start the journey at 2.30pm assuming that the roads are all ours as it usually took about 15 minutes to reach the destination on a normal day.  Again here, people have short memories and refused to think or reminded that there will be a holiday traffic. We know and encounter such situations many times but yet, we believe that we are blessed and life is simple. It was raining and I run smacked into a slow and heavy traffic.My wife starts her nagging and told me that I chose to drive at the slowest speed ever and she will be late for her appointment.  The disturbing thought of her being late, starts to upset her and she starts to focus on the wrong things happening around her. Her whole journey was a torture but fortunately, we managed to reach her destination at 3pm.

Looking the whole trip, it was a mad rush and many times, we do these tasks without realizing that there is so much beauty around and we would have relaxed and enjoy the trip if we focus on other more pleasant things in us. We could have a good conversation and we spend our time to titillate and catch up the things which is happening when we are caught in the jam.  What can we do if there is a massive jam in front of us? Can nagging, worrying and angry help to clear the traffic?  If we slow down and find our inner space. we will realized that it was our mental habits that have been playing a fool with us. We let our emotions and feelings to rule us and we became illogical and self justification. Blaming  others is the best form of relief. We are really silly ?

If you have  been hiking as an exercise, I want to take the same trip by taking a slow walk. The focus is not just exercise but exercise with awareness. You walk at a slow pace and you focus on the minute details of the surrounding. Like the pebbles on the road, the tress by the road side, the people who pass by you, scenery on your way, the slow breeze that swell up to you and the many things which you have not seen before. You will realized that you have missed so much beauty and meaning in life. What you have missed on your hurried journey and why you have not enjoyed your exercise to the fullest ? Is life so meaningless by just rushing through it and completing the tasks at the fastest speed ? Challenging yourself to complete as many things as possible ?  It has all been a waste if you are doing it.  There are much more in life if we put our head to it. A simple conversation, a slow dance or walk, time to catch up with your relatives and friends. Doing all these things without time as a constraint. Just slow down and things will come into focus.

It took me many years to realize from hindsight that my life could have been better and my time on earth could be more meaningful instead of involving in a mad rush and finally, suffering from the rat race and it ends with  nothing. Start your journey with the right focus and manage it properly with the agenda to enjoy yourself as the top priority and other things came along gradually. Start your journey early and be prepared and if you reach your destination early, relax and re-focus inwardly and enjoy the peace while waiting. Enjoy the surrounding and sit down to have a cup of tea and do whatever you want like calling up a friend or walk around to enjoy that moment. You will find the peace and tranquility in you.



There is so much beauty in and around us , just slow down to focus its existence.



Namaste.