The speed of life is getting faster and faster. Jobs require more hours, children are more "scheduled", physical fitness requires a "work out" to make up for hours of sitting. We run, we talk on cell phones while driving, we eat "fast" food, we TIVO, we run to and fro. The prevailing belief is that we might miss out on something were we to slow down. "How can I fit more in?" seems to be the question that haunts people.
Here's the thing: the faster you go, the more you miss out on.
Think of your life as a speeding car. You're zooming through a landscape so quickly that, when you look out the window, all around you is a blur. You can't see the trees, flowers, grazing deer. You can't hear the birds' songs or feel the sweet, soft breeze on your face. There's this idea that by going fast one can get more "done", live a more efficient life. My question is...how well can you do it if it's done quickly?
When did an "efficient" life become a "good" one?
I used to run around at breakneck speed. All the better to distract myself from the disatisfaction that tainted much of my life. I didn't want to miss out on anything, and believed that cramming lots of activities and people into each hour would protect me against that. My pace also ensured that I would not take the time to sit down and get to know myself, connect with Spirit and learn to live in a way that would nurture me. Essentially, the pace of my life kept my from my Self.
Now, having slowed down enough that I can feel the difference in my life, my body, my mind and spirit, I can speak from both perspectives. Rushing through life didn't get me more life, more satisfaction or more happiness. It got me stress, exhaustion, lethargy, poor health and lots of injuries. Slowing down has allowed me to connect with the people, places, activities and feelings that make my life sweet. By going through life more slowly, I am able to actually experience my life and its surroundings. I live more by resisting the temptation to cram a lot into life.
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