To rush implies a present desire to get to a future moment as quickly as possible.
…Which happens at the expense of the present moment in proportion to how much you’re rushing.
In other words, big rushing = big dissociation from the present moment… little rushing = little dissociation.
Living only happens in the present.
And while, yes, it’s still possible (and common) to dissociate from the present moment even when you’re not rushing—it can’t be ignored that not rushing is a necessary precursor to presence.
The pickle so many of us find ourselves in is that modern society is built upon a foundation of rush.
We must hurry to learn—so we can get into a competitive, name-brand college.
We must hurry to earn—so we can impress our peers with our lifestyle.
We must hurry to settle—so we can cross house, spouse, kids, and dog off our life checklists.
And so on.
The problem with this is that the foundation of life is built upon a foundation of presence—moments where you truly feel the experience of being alive.
And when the foundation of society is built on a foundation in conflict with that of life… we can have problems—namely, ends filled with lots of regret.
But, if we can break away from this societal mold and create our own little foundation of presence in our lives… we can change the direction of our lives drastically.
P.s. I wrote a guide to help you live a life with less regret. More on that here.