Pace is something which we can determine. When i”m in a situation which I fear, it’s usually a fear of being asked to be far outside of my comfort zone. That stress is usually asking me to do or be something at a rate that is unrealistic, at least to me.
I experienced this with my parent shopping last week on an escalator. She didn’t want to step onto the escalator, fearing she would miss a step. She didn’t trust me supporting her possible fall, since I had one arm full of groceries.
If we’re assertive, we can negotiate most things so the rate isn’t threatening. I asked the store clerk if we could use the freight elevator so we could “escape” the situation.
The pace of life, or rate at which we live, is hard to negotiate since most people live with so many different demands or “faster rates” around us. As I look at how I had to drop out of life, a luxury few have, I notice that my pace is so slow, I barely get anything done, it seems, but it’s all I can muster now. With depleted emotional resources, it’s hard to be assertive anyway.
This concerns me now as I try to plan the new year, and notice how little the steps have to be. Once the TV and popular psychologist asked someone, “...at this rate, where are you going to be in five years...?”.
I wonder if others notice the “pace” or “rate” at which you live your life, versus others “rates” of living outside of your life?
