Leadership Essays
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Dale MurphyAssociate, K Friese & Associates, Inc.Leadership Austin Affiliation: 2008 Essential Class Member |
"This I Believe"
I probably walk too fast, and people are always complaining that I talk too fast for them to understand me. I’m usually impatient when I’m doing something, and am always impatient when anyone else is doing anything. When someone is talking too slow, I often finish their sentences for them to try and hurry up our conversation. I basically panic when another person has the television remote because they never turn the channels quickly enough, I mean, do you really have to stop on the Style Channel to see if there is something good on?! I get ridiculously mad at myself if I miss a turn while driving and it takes me an extra 3 minutes to get to my destination.
Why I am like this? I think it’s because I’ve always believed that time is an evil, diabolical and relentless force…so it’s been my plan to cram as much in as possible in the time that time’s given me. But, what’s really getting to me lately is that as I get older, each year goes by faster and faster. I’m not sure if this is because each additional year is a progressively smaller percentage of my overall life…or if maybe, just maybe, the earth’s rotation is gradually accelerating...either way, I don’t like it.
Recently, I went on a long hike in a state park filled with nature and beautiful scenery. During my hike into the wilderness, all I basically saw was the dirt and the rocks of the uneven path that I was walking on. This was because I mainly had my head down watching my steps so I could keep up a good pace without tripping. When I arrived at the far end of the trail, I sat down to catch my breath and I looked around realizing that I had essentially missed the trees, hills, creeks and everything else that should’ve been the reason that I was out there. After a few minutes catching my breath, I headed on my way back down the trail taking a more leisurely stroll, and this time I absorbed my surroundings…interesting spider web over here, hawk sailing over there…and I thoroughly enjoyed myself.
The best part is that the memory of that hike is extremely vivid, and I’m able to relive it when I think about it.
So, maybe my thinking has been flawed. While I don’t expect that I’ll actually start walking or talking much slower, and I seriously doubt I’ll be smelling many non-metaphorical roses, I do believe that while time is speeding up, I’m going to slow down and really try and experience my experiences.