All around us there are things we miss because we are running around and do not take the time to stop and smell the roses.

We live in such a frantically paced world! The world is not frantic; we are! We are the ones who choose to run around at the fast pace. Do we think we are ever going to make up for lost time? The world keeps turning at the same speed. We all have the same 24 hours in a day, and it is how we choose to use those hours that causes us to be so busy that we don't take time for the simple things in life like smelling the roses.

You are so busy that you don't even notice the roses along your path, much less think about smelling them. We are oblivious to the things going on around us because our mind is reacting to yet another mess we have gotten ourselves into because we don't know how to stop procrastinating.

We have two speeds: full-out pedal-to-the-metal or slamming on the brakes! Have you ever ridden with someone who drives like this? Just the thought of this makes me sick! Why do we treat ourselves like this with jack rabbit starts and stops? We deserve better!

The stops don't happen often; they only occur after you have crashed and burned. We don't know how to take it slow and steady. All we know is if we will just keep going as fast as we can, we can accomplish all we have to in one day. We can stop living like this.

You are not more effective under stress. That is a lie we tell ourselves because we do not know how to stop unless we are forced to. I think we have to look at the reasons we are rushing around for us to be able to stop and rest. Procrastination is vicious monster that causes us to pedal faster and faster. We put off doing something till it is screaming at us.

You know how it is; you put off filling your car up with gas and now you are in a hurry to pick up your child at school and you just had to do one more thing before you walked out the door. That is perfectionism and procrastination giving you the one-two punch! No wonder you don't have time to stop and smell the roses you are too busy putting out fires!

Do you hear these words come out of your mouth many times a day: "I don't have time, I'm late?" This is an important clue for you! Next time those words soil your lips, I want you to think about why you are in this pickle! I promise you it is because you put off doing something or you allowed your perfectionism to take over.

You don't have to live this way another day! You have a choice, and if you choose the "do it now" principle, you may find that there are enough hours in a day, and you do have time to stop and smell the roses!

Life is filled with choices, and you get to make them.

Do it now or procrastinate; you pick!

Which one allows you the opportunity to stop and smell the roses?

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For more help getting rid of your CHAOS, check out: www.flylady.net. Also see Cilley's book, "Sink Reflections," and her new book, "Body Clutter." Copyright 2006 Marla Cilley. Used by permission in this publication.