Careful planning puts you ahead in the long run;
hurry and scurry puts you further behind. — Proverbs 21:5 (The Message)
One of the reasons old saying are old is because, well, they’re true and thus have stood the test of time. One example is “Haste makes waste.”
But for a really ancient language, consider Chinese. Its roots go back thousands of years, and it has no alphabet. Rather, Chinese has characters that are often like simplified pictures. Sometimes, parts of two or even three characters are put together to form a new word. For example, the Chinese word for “busy,” pronounced máng, combines the characters for “heart” and “die.”
Although linguists may debate how that character came to be in ancient history, it’s a remarkable combination.
Think of how you feel when you’re busy.
Do you feel relaxed, confident, serene and effective?
Or do you feel pressured, harried, stressed and like your last nerve is being plucked?
In other words, when you feel busy, do you feel like a part of your “heart is dying”?
In fact, modern medicine is proving many links between a lifestyle of hurry and anxiety and numerous health problems, including heart illness.
Want to simplify your life, draw closer to God, and improve your relationships and health, all in one, free step?
Make the decision to leave the “hurry and scurry” and slow down.
And one way to do that?
Remember that “no” is a complete sentence.
S.D.G./S.G.D.
