Forrest Gump said it best. He was so excited to start running he just didn’t know when to stop. He was excited about the possibilities.

It was exactly the opposite of what we do. Forrest took things slowly from the beginning. He took advantage of his limitations and was still able to achieve great things.

We start out running, making lists, rushing around the office or workplace, and rushing to and from work. We think to ourselves that if only we were at our destination we would be more productive. Forrest took life slow and just needed to run for a little bit. We take life too fast and we need to just walk for a while.

Rushing causes unnecessary problems in our lives. We kill people with our cars; driving too fast is the number one cause of car accidents. We make decisions hastily leading to mistakes. We aren’t mindful, we don’t use our full capacity, and we make mistakes because we didn’t see the problem coming right at us. We cause great harm to ourselves and others.

Rushing also causes stress on others. If I try to rush my family out the door so we won’t be late I cause unneeded stress on everyone. When I rush at work my coworkers feel more rushed themselves.

Take the time that Forrest took to run, and slow down. Drive slower, eat slower, be mindful, and think about the people around you. Living slower means removing the unecessary. Get rid of unnecessary plans and stop setting unnecessary goals. Use the added breathing room to add new, healthy habits. It takes time. But that is why we are walking.