This used to be motto. I would repeat this over and over to myself when things got hard and I needed the strength to get to the next moment. I vividly recall using this last about 5 years ago when I had to put down my soulmate dog, Koko, when my daughter was only 6 weeks old. My heart was breaking and I was not allowed the time or space to grieve since I had a newborn baby that constantly needed me. I kept using this saying to myself day in and day out to get through the tough times.

One day, however, I realized yes these moments will pass but so will my opportunity to be present in them. I used this motto to help time go by faster for myself. I no longer want to rush the moment, including the good and challenging moments – whether it be a tough discussion at work, an even tougher situation at home or just driving to the next place. These are the moments that if slowed down we can learn from, study and gain from.

I recently had a conversation with my boss about hiring a new candidate. I was also running late to get a lab test done at the doctors’ office and then immediately heading to pick up my daughter from school. Time was not on my side. In addition to the time managing all of the things that I needed to do, I was having an internal battle with whether to hire this indiviudal or not. My team needed the support desperately, but there were some red flags I didn’t want to focus on. I wanted the meeting to go by quickly and end with my boss’s support in hiring this person. However, I decided to slow down and invest in this moment. I vocalized my struggles with making the decision on this hire and realized I was rushing the moment and the decision. After admitting to the red flags I encountered, my boss turned around and said “I’m seeing you need to trust your gut more.” I paused – stunned because this was on-point with me. I am huge on giving the benefit of the doubt to others, but something was nudging me that this was the wrong decision to make this hire.

Long story short – slowing down and feeling all of the uncomfortable things going through us (even in harmless situations) is worth it. Rushing through moments, hoping they will go by faster will make us lose sight and distract us from the opportunities for growth and self-discovery.

Reach out if you’re interested in focusing and discovering these opportunities for self-growth together.