Hurrying isn’t moving fast, although it often is coupled with it; we can move quickly and be present. To me, hurrying is moving and attending to things in a blurry manner, often underlain with the feeling that there is not enough time. We must get things done!  The worst results can be accident and injury, or some other type of loss. Even without this, it is certainly true that we aren’t present to ourselves, our actions, and to the world around us. It is a leaving of awareness.

Sometimes I need to move quickly. But I do not want to give up awareness in that process. When I remember to pause and return to presence, to watch the breath, to sense my body as I move, I am returning to the present moment; I can move fast or slow, depending on what is required. And I can be observant.

The tendency to hurry can be seen as a gift– because when I notice I am hurrying, this very noticing offers a choice to return to the present moment.