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Rushing Ahead = Falling Behind

Sama’ Letters

October 6, 2024

What is it about projecting ourselves into an idea of the future or past that makes us neglect the present moment? We get so focused on making a business succeed, healing our body, or finding a soulmate that we forget to listen and appreciate where here right now.

I had a conversation with a friend yesterday in front of a fire in autumn evening. I asked him, "When was the most challenging period in your life?"

He shared that it was two years after his body crashed from years of over-stressing it—through training, traveling, and chasing surface-level goals.


My story is similar. My most challenging time was when I broke my knee and had to undergo multiple surgeries. I was 18 and couldn’t walk more than a few kilometers before the pain became unbearable. It flipped my life upside down.

For a long time, I pushed through the pain because I had big visions of traveling, going to burns, and living that youthful life. So I pushed my knee over and over... and it just got worse.


Eventually, I had to learn to slow down. I had to listen to my body, the tension in my mind, and the strain on my nervous system. We might be able to override our bodies for a while, but eventually, reality catches up. And when it does, it's painful. The moment you realize, "Shit, I pushed myself too far, and something just broke," can hit hard.


Slowing down.

There are times when we need to buckle up and push through, and that's fine. But when the system is constantly under stress, it gets out of balance. We often think speeding up, doing more, or fixing things outside of ourselves is the solution. But really, it's about regulating our internal state first.

Like most people, I’ve run on the idea that I should do more—more training, more work, more learning. And it has to happen fast. It’s that feeling of the ego cracking the whip, shouting, "Work harder!" But the problem with the ego is that it's never satisfied. No matter how much effort you pour into something, it's never enough.

I’ve noticed that when I slow down and approach my work with lightness and joy, things actually start to move faster. It’s about shifting the inner experience rather than forcing the outer. Slowing down relaxes the mind and body. The nervous system finds peace. Happiness arises. And creating from a place of happiness is like rocket fuel for your efforts.


Gratitude is the best barometer.

When it’s hard to give thanks for the sun on your face, the friends in your life, the roof over your head, and the food on your plate, it’s a sign you’re too focused on some future or past destination. When you stop being grateful, you cut yourself off from joy—and from life itself.

Gratitude brings you back to the here and now. And when you’re truly present, opportunities that were hidden before suddenly become clear. This is where creation happens. This is where magic happens. It’s the space where life starts working with you rather than against you.


 Reminder to Myself

- Pay attention to your state of being.

- Notice when you’re stressed, worried, or out of balance.

- Are you pushing yourself hard to get somewhere else?

- What future or past destination are you projecting yourself into?

Remember, your work is to shift your inner state—not the outer circumstances.

Slow down. Turn off the news. Breathe. Go for a walk. Write.

Remind yourself of what you’re grateful for in life.


Nowhere to go. Nothing do to. Already there.


Much love,

Samuel Axel




 
 
 

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