Are you in a hurry? Published June 22, 2010 By Al Strait 21st Space Wing director of staff PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- I recently read an article entitled "Don't Be In A Hurry," which made me pause and look at my own lifestyle. We always seem to be in a rush. Our society today is full of fast food, rapid transit, instant messaging, instant weight loss, instant wealth, instant credit, instant abs and instant success. In addition to the "instant" mentality, we all experience the demands on our time. These time-demands revolve around work, family, recreation, spirituality, friends, and other activities. As the time-demands increase, whether controlled or uncontrolled, there will be an increase in pressure and stress. How can we slow down and "smell the roses," as we all have heard? One thing we can do is review our priorities. There are actions we "must do," actions that are "fun to do," actions that are "nice to do" and actions which we should "never do." If your priorities are mostly "must dos" then you might want to realign your priorities. We all work hard, but maybe it would be beneficial if we took a moment to review all our daily tasks. Is the task a "must do," will the mission fail, or do I just think it is a "must do?" Sometimes our routines involve actions that ultimately don't add much value to mission. Yet because of the routine we continue to spin our wheels without getting much traction. We can allow our tasks to drive us or we can drive the tasks. There may be demands placed on us that we cannot control or dictate a "get it done now" pace. If that is the situation we find ourselves in, there are a couple of things all of us can do. First, we can learn to laugh. Scientists who study the effects of laughter have found that laughter has a profound and positive effect on virtually every important organ in the human body. Laughter reduces tension and helps us relax, so when the pace quickens and the tension builds remember to find joy in the journey and indulge in a good laugh. Another thing we can do is choose between being happy or being miserable. As someone once told me, there is only one good thing about misery - it's optional. We know the pace of life can be challenging and there can and will be difficult times. We can choose to be miserable, we can choose to allow worry and fear to dominate our lives, or we can make the choice to be happy. Finally, regardless of the pace, we can learn to live now. Sometimes we become so stressed with the pace that we forget to enjoy the now. Remembering those things that are most important and being grateful for our blessings will fill our lives with meaning and purpose. Enjoy your family, enjoy your health, and enjoy being an American. Have fun now. Let your family, coworkers and friends know you are enjoying life and having fun. Stepping back from our fast paced society and lifestyle will take a great effort, but it is possible. Reflect on your pace, pause, relax, rejuvenate and yes, smell the roses.