Welcome to Urgency vs.
Emergency.
I'm Leslie.
If you've been feeling like everything in your life is urgent,
Like you're constantly putting out fires and can never catch your breath,
This practice is for you.
Today,
We're going to explore a powerful distinction that can change how you respond to the pressures in your life.
Here's something that might surprise you.
When everything feels urgent,
Nothing actually is.
Urgency is often the initial response to stress,
And stress is usually fueled by fear.
Sometimes our stress-induced urgency can cause us to fumble in the face of fear.
This can lead us to hasty decisions that we later regret.
But what if we could learn to recognize the difference between urgency and true emergency?
Let me offer you a new way to think about this.
Think of urgency as a signal that's saying,
Hold on,
This is important,
Let's get some clarity first.
Emergency,
On the other hand,
Is a signal to emerge and take action quickly in response to a clear and present danger.
When we treat everything like an emergency that requires immediate action,
We open ourselves up to additional problems that waiting could have helped us avoid.
Let's practice recognizing this distinction together.
Settle into your space,
And when you're ready,
Close your eyes.
First,
Bring to mind something that's been feeling urgent in your life lately.
Maybe it's a deadline,
A decision you need to make,
Or a situation that's been weighing on you.
Notice what happens in your body when you think about it.
Do you feel tension?
If so,
Where do you feel it?
Does your breathing change in any way?
Now,
Instead of rushing into action,
We're going to practice the wisdom of waiting.
Take a deep breath.
Imagine you're sitting among the trees in a forest.
Birds are chirping,
And there's a gentle breeze.
Imagine yourself floating,
And let that thought of floating lift you up.
Feel yourself rising above the dense forest to the top of the trees.
From this higher perspective,
You can see exactly where you are and where you need to go.
The urgency may remain,
But now you have clarity about the true nature of what you're facing and the possible paths forward you could take.
Let's take a moment to breathe together and ask yourself,
Is this situation truly an emergency that requires immediate action,
Or is this urgency asking me to pause and gain clarity first?
Breathe in slowly.
And as you exhale,
Let any frantic energy settle down and move away.
Let's continue to practice waiting together.
For the next few breaths,
We're not going to solve anything.
We're simply going to breathe naturally,
Be present,
And allow peace and inner knowing to emerge.
In this calm space,
You're no longer in fight-or-flight mode.
Your creative brain is free to engage and calmly offer solutions.
From this peaceful place,
Consider the situation that you brought to mind again.
How does it appear now?
What action,
If any,
Feels right from this centered place?
Notice the difference between responding from urgency versus responding from clarity.
Now,
As you prepare to return to your day,
Remember this.
You have a choice in how you respond to life's pressures.
You can choose to pause when you feel urgency,
Allowing time for your fear response to subside so your creative brain can engage.
The next time you feel that familiar urgency rising,
Remember this practice.
Come back to it.
Ask yourself,
Is this an emergency or is this urgency telling me to wait for clarity?
Trust in the wisdom of waiting.
Your best decisions come from this peaceful,
Centered place.
Until next time,
Stay present,
Be peaceful,
Live prosperous.
