More Hurry, Less Speed

You can’t always get it done faster just because you move quicker.

I like to say that my mother was the original “old wife “ as in, she was the purveyor of many and varied “old wives tales” and clichés to fit most occasions.

She had cute and quirky sayings to cover many situations in life. She could pop these witty phrases off without hesitation. This will always be one of my dearest memories about her.

I remember how, when her children would be cranky, complaining or otherwise out of sorts with life — and she really just didn’t want to deal with it anymore — she would admonish us with a favorite phrase — “Tell it to the marines!”

In other words, tell somebody who might give a damn — someone who might come to our rescue in time of need — someone with the strength to cope.

Someone, anyone, other than her.

My mother was a strong, capable woman — she took no flack from anyone — and that definitely included her children.

At various times in my young life, when I was sick enough to stay home from school — but certainly not sick enough for the emergency room — she would always insist that I put on regular daytime clothes. I could hang out on the couch, maybe read a book, do homework or watch TV.

What I couldn’t do was play the victim. Whining and complaining had no place in her home. Life was tough — might as well learn to cope early on.

She was also a great source of teaching the fine art of patience. Stepping back, evaluating a situation, then moving forward with a clear and directed plan of attack — that was her way of coping with the slings and arrows of daily living.

And so, one of her favorite and most enduring phrases guides my life on many occasions -

More hurry, less speed.

I love that phrase — and all the meaning behind it.

Going faster doesn’t mean you get done quicker — at least not with the optimal desired results.

Racing for the finish line may not make you the winner. In fact, speed may just make you collateral damage — just another injured party in the race for success.

In the quest for seeking something approaching perfection — hurry is often the enemy of quality.

What really matters? Getting the job done? Or getting the job done right?

As I look back on the struggles and goals of my life, I can clearly see my mother’s philosophy of life playing out.

I didn’t always win — but today I consider myself a winner.

I didn’t always move forward at breakneck speed as I identified a goal and strove to achieve it — but today I feel confident in my achievements.

I didn’t always win the battle — but today I know I have won the war.

My mother’s words didn’t always give me victory — but they always gave me peace, and the knowledge that, while I wasn’t hurrying or speeding, I was always in the game. I was the mistress of my life. I held the steering wheel, with my foot on the gas (or break, as needed), and that I would reach my destination — sooner or later.

It would be okay.

Another of her famous, definitely not original to her, clichés, was this — “Stop and smell the roses.”

In simpler words — don’t race through every moment of life, seeking the next big moment or next desired goal.

It’s good, right here, right now — maybe not perfect, but definitely something worthy of your attention and appreciation.

Don’t hurry. The road of life leads to the same finish line.

What really matters? Racing through the stages and experiences of life? Or enjoying the all-too-brief journey along the way?

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