The Joy Edit - vol. 10

Hi Friend,

I've been thinking a lot about rushing lately.

Now, being a New Yorker, I think rushing might actually be part of my DNA. 😂 We walk fast, talk fast, and somehow manage to be in a hurry even when we have absolutely nowhere to be.

But lately, I've been noticing just how much rushing has become my default setting.

And I'm not just talking about rushing out the door in the morning or trying to get somewhere on time.

I'm talking about rushing through the most ordinary moments of my day. Making food. Brushing my teeth. Getting into my pajamas at night.

Seriously. Why am I rushing to put on my pajamas? It's almost comical when I stop and think about it.

But I think it's also a reflection of the world we're living in.

Everything moves so fast. There's always another notification, another responsibility, another thing to cross off the list. We have become so accustomed to moving from one thing to the next that sometimes we don't even realize we're doing it.

And I wonder what all this rushing is costing us.

Not just in terms of stress or exhaustion, but in the little moments we're missing along the way.

The conversations we're only half listening to.

The ordinary routines we're trying to get through.

The simple pleasures that become just another thing to check off our lists.

Somewhere along the way, I think we've confused having a full life with needing to hurry through it.

And the truth is, I don't necessarily want a less full life.

I love my family, my work, my creative projects, and the many things that fill my days.

But I don't want to spend my life constantly trying to get to the next thing.

Because what exactly am I rushing toward?

And what am I missing in the process?

Toward the end of this very hectic week, I finally found a little pocket of time to sit down and make some bracelets for the mommies of the new babies in my life.

As I chose the beads, arranged the colors, and thought about the women who would receive them, something shifted.

I wasn't racing to finish another task.

I wasn't thinking about how quickly I could get it done.

I was simply making something with love.

Giving my time, attention, and care to something meaningful.

And it felt different.

My to-do list hadn't magically disappeared. There were still things that needed my attention, responsibilities waiting, and plenty to do.

But for those moments, I wasn't rushing.

I was present.

And it reminded me of something I've been learning over and over again through my creative life.

Sometimes the greatest gift creativity gives us isn't the thing we make. It's the opportunity to be fully present while we're making it.

Maybe that's what I've been craving lately.

Not necessarily a slower life.

But a life I'm actually paying attention to.

A life where I can move quickly when I need to, but also recognize when I don't.

Where I can brush my teeth without mentally racing through tomorrow's schedule.

Where I can make dinner without treating it like an obstacle between me and the next thing.

Where I can sit down with a handful of beads and make something with love, without worrying about how long it's taking.

I'm certainly not an expert at any of this.

I'm a New Yorker, after all. 😉

But I'm practicing.

And maybe noticing how often I rush is a pretty good place to start.

What did you love doing before you started wondering whether you were good at it?

Here's a little invitation for you this weekend.

Choose one ordinary thing and give it your full attention.

It doesn't have to be a creative project or anything particularly special.

Maybe it's making your morning coffee, preparing a meal, taking a shower, or sitting down to read.

Whatever it is, resist the urge to hurry through it.

Notice what you're doing.

Enjoy the process.

Give it the same care and attention you might give something you consider important.

Because these ordinary moments?

They're our lives, too.

And they're worth being present for.

Here's to a weekend filled with a little less rushing and a little more noticing.