Fast Lane Living

I eat too fast, drive too fast, don't have enough time for simple things in life, time to be quiet and reflect, time to invest in those around me.

These symptoms are all known to us - all part of a syndrome, so often diagnosable: Fast Lane Living.
Every day we are confronted with a mathematical equation, that we are fooled to believe is true: speed = efficacy.
We are prone to believe that the faster we progress, the more we will get done. Very soon we are trapped in the maize of our own routines and efforts, just to meet the deadline, get the job done.

Everything we do become time-framed. 6-7 - get up, dress; 7-8- drive to work; drop children off; 8-5 - work; 5-6 - drive home; 6-8 - feed everyone; 8-10 - get more work done. Everyday this repeats itself. Somewhere down the line we loose ourselves, we start living past those around us.

When approaching life as a race, there are a few characteristics of a race, that we will inevitably incorporate into our lives:

• A race only has one winner.The race towards success, prestige and worldly recognition often has only one winner. If we are not on top of the success ladder we start to believe falsely that we are failures. But what would be the alternative? God wants us to run the race towards eternity. In God's race every participant has the opportunity to become a winner. The only prerequisite is that you have to finish what you have started. It is not about how quickly you can get it done, but if and how you get it done. The race must be against yourself, don't measure yourself against others. God is more concerned about our soul-welfare, than our material-welfare. He wants you to grow within yourself. You will never be able to grow if you constantly compare yourself to others, because unfortunately you will always find a virtue in other, which you feel you will never be able to have.
• To be the best is the ultimate goal in life. The truth is- if you are not content before you become the best you will not feel any better with a gold medal in your hand. It's like the small boy who asked his father to play darts with him: "Daddy, I will throw and then you can just stand there and say - Wonderful!" We do so many things in life just to hear others say: "Wonderful!". We are so often motivated by recognition, money and fame. We are taught to live a result driven life. Something can surely not make sense without a clear consequence attached to it. We have to learn to enjoy things that do not have a direct benefit for us. Value the things where we needn't be the best or the brightest, but can only be ourselves.
• We flourish in competitive environments. Maybe it is still part of our survival instinct. Survival or not, we are not happier people once we become competitive. Even those who think they are tough can break beneath the pressures we so often put upon ourselves. When exposed to extended periods of stress there are a few things that are threatened to give in. Our basic physiology becomes deranged. People become ill, they can't sleep, they eat too much or too little, they are tired, suffer from headaches, stomach ulcers just to name a few. Relationships crumble. We don't have time for friends or family. Small things irritate us. Eventually we end up not even knowing who we are anymore. We loose purpose.

An engine running at high revolutions needs more petrol and more frequent maintenance. We cannot always avoid living in the fast lane. The demands of our current day and age simply puts you there, not always by your own choice. During these fast lane times we have to make time to refuel. Take time off to contemplate our maintenance.

Drive carefully. Keep to the speed limit. Stop every few hours to rest. Don't ignore warning signs. Plan the route ahead.

In the end, the journey is more important than the destination.