Slowing Down
Writer Charles Swindoll once found himself with too many commitments in too few days. So much so that he got nervous and tense about it, which began to impact his family life.
"I was snapping at my wife and our children, choking down my food at mealtimes, and feeling irritated at those unexpected interruptions throughout the day," he recalled in his book Stress Fractures. "Before long, things around our home started reflecting the pattern of my hurry-up style. It was becoming unbearable."
Charles reflected on a certain day with his daughter that opened his eyes to his actions.
"I distinctly remember after supper one evening, the words of our younger daughter, Colleen. She wanted to tell me something important that had happened to her at school that day. She began hurriedly, 'Daddy, I wanna tell you somethin' and I'll tell you really fast.' Suddenly realizing her frustration, I responded, 'Honey, you can tell me, and you don't have to tell me really fast. Say it slowly."
"I'll never forget her answer... 'Then listen slowly.'"
These days, we feel like we're living in the "Age of Distraction." Everybody and everything are out to get our attention. And one way to do that is to distract us from whatever we may have been doing or are trying to do.
Focusing on what matters at that time is becoming an essential skill that we must learn in order to improve the quality of our relationships.
