How Do You Know.... When it is Time to Seek a New Spiritual DIrection?

I, like many, have been hurrying through life as if I was engaged in a race against time. 

I was in a hurry to get through school, to get married, and to get where I am today. I've been the dutiful child, or compassionate friend, or selfless parent, or perfect employee. Until recently, I have been so rushed that I haven't taken the time for myself. Now I spend time daily in meditation coupled with the practice of yoga/body prayer with others at the  

Recently, John, (not his real name) came into Spiritworks for a class. In our conversation, John told me that he once routinely put in 16 hour days. He rationalized that he had to work that hard. If he didn't, who else would run the business? Then, there were the committees to chair and community events to attend. John could do it all! Well, not quite. Only after John's second heart attack did it begin to dawn on him that his growing compulsiveness about work had grown completely out of bounds.

His behavior gave him an inflated estimate of his ability to keep working to the detriment of his body, which was giving out. Inspecting further, he discovered he was also alienated from his feelings toward family and friends. Suddenly, awake he realized that both of his sons were grown and gone. Even the community, whom he professed to serve, came second to his need to keep moving and doing. Overrun by his compulsion and a slave to work, he no longer had his own life. He was truly the walking dead. He began to question if perhaps he did need to stop and seek a new spiritual direction. Why was he so driven and to what end?  

Reflecting on my conversation with John, I was reminded that if we are going to stay healthy in the midst of overwhelming responsibility, then we'd better be willing to make the inner journey. It is there that we can find Light at the point of our blindness.

Have you too been racing and hurrying? How often have you been yourself or tried to find yourself? What will it take for you to take the time? What do you think?