Have you ever been guilty of the infamous rolling stop? Me too.
Rolling Stops
Sometimes you just NEED that extra 1/2 of a second, right? If you were to make a complete stop, you would probably be late for the meeting at work, dinner with a friend, or even worse – you may miss the first 5 minutes of [insert your favorite television show]! That rolling stop in your car runs you the risk of a ticket, but could rolling stops in life negatively affect your well-being? I venture to reply, yes.
As I was walking to my car this morning, I heard something beautiful. I could have heard the beauty by practicing a “rolling stop,” but I decided to come to a complete stop in my driveway. As my feet remained still, I listened to the chatter of the birds in the tree above my head. I smiled as I imagined what the birds may be “saying” to each other. I quickly found myself filled with joy by this small sign of spring. Those 10 seconds of stillness allowed me to start my day on a positive note. Because I stopped, I was able to fully appreciate the beauty of that fleeting moment.
Our society places a high value on productivity, and it may be killing us. If we are forced to stop at a traffic light, we compensate by checking our email or responding to the text we received a few minutes earlier. We “stop” while simultaneously driving full speed ahead. What’s even worse is that we pride ourselves in these rolling stops. We have come to believe that our high levels of productivity add to our value as individuals.
Our always-on-the-go mindset leads to increased stress and a lowered sense of well-being. So, the next time you think about doing a rolling stop in your life, I encourage you to reconsider. Stop. Completely. And Breathe. Soak in the beauty of the moment.
