You know, there was a time, not so many years ago, that I was like a wind up car with an infinitely long wind up spring. I swear that by my early twenties, I almost felt superhuman. I would wake up in the morning and hit the ground running. Besides work, which in my early twenties was as a McDonald’s manager, you know, when they actually worked fast, worked hard and got your order right the first time, I had karate classes three or four times a week, jogging workouts, cycling workouts and my body existed in it’s final years before a drop of alcohol touched it. I had energy, I had speed and much like the Flash, I felt as though I could run forever.
Bear in mind that this was during the years following the period of my life with rampant, uncontrolled blood sugars. I often wonder about how much faster and efficient I would be if I had been on pump therapy back then. Friends, colleagues and fellow karate practitioners had a hard time keeping up with me. It was amazing. It was majestic. And as I write this, I’m realizing how braggy it sounds. But it’s accurate. But as with all things in life, everything eventually changes. This includes one’s ability to keep running indefinitely. And that where today’s post comes in. Because eventually, time catches up. And this causes the sense of urgency to dry up.
Up until recent years and especially during my years as a police officer, speed and being on the ball was exceptionally important. If the phone rang before dawn, I had to be out of bed, geared up and out the door within minutes. Considering someone’s life may be in jeopardy, that much was obvious. Even during my new career, I always had the habit of getting up at the ass crack of dawn, getting to work an hour early and still attending multiple karate classes. Hell, in 2020, I logged over 1,000 kilometres in cycling and jogging.
Considering time, age and all other factors, I’ve changed my perspective significantly. My work allows me a flexibility of time. As a result, my days no longer start in a blur of rushing and urgency. I still wake up to an alarm but I get started slowly. I take my time, go through my shave and shower routine, slowly sip and enjoy the first caffeine of the day and proceed to prep my breakfast smoothie and lunch to bring to the office. More often than not, I’ll even hop on the ol’ iPad and get through some dailies for the games I have. Sometimes, I’ll pop in to the corner convenience store to check my lotto tickets (Yes, I get those! Don’t judge!) and grab a coffee.
The difference that this approach has made is noticeable. I start my day far more relaxed, which means I feel less harassed by the needs of the day. I’m in a significantly better mood, which means I can deal wth people far better. I run with the clock instead of trying to run ahead of it. Blood pressure is lower, attitude is calmer and my overall disposition has improved ten-fold. All of this has also had a positive impact on my blood sugars and Diabetes symptoms. Are there still times when I’ll need to rush? Of course! Life would never allow otherwise. But in the meantime, I can take satisfaction in knowing that between the rare, occasional deadline or emergency, I no longer have to walk to the beat of a different drum. Instead, I get to be the one who controls the beat. ☯️
The Blogging Buddhist 