slowing it down
i find that the most positive change my life has experienced in recent times (and of course, the 'most' part is from this moment's perspective, and it may change the next :)) is the slowing down of its pace. no it didn't 'just happen', i had to work hard to make it happen. i had to shake myself by the shoulders each time i over-committed myself, each time i found myself stressing about getting late, each time i felt rushed out of leaving things to the last minute. i trained my inner consciousness to become acutely aware of the "i'm getting rushed" feeling.
i decided to give myself more time. consciously. indeed, that's all it took. i knew that walking to school took 20 minutes if i cut it close, but i decided to give myself 30. i always made it to class/meetings early, but i kept at it regardless. i knew that if i stepped up my pace a tad bit, i'd make it across the street before the 'hand' stopped blinking, but i consciously decided not to let my pace depend on the street signals. i taught myself to schedule 3 things for the weekend instead of 5. and then 2 instead of 3. as a result, i found time to spend several blissful hours by lake elizabeth last weekend. and what a reward that was!
the rewards permeate their way through to the week's existence. i find i have much more time. all the time. i have time to sit on my favorite bench by the campanile and to "pause and reflect" (as the bench says to do). very literally, i have found myself time to stop and smell the flowers. the benefits are endless, and i discover them afresh every day.
so slow it down, gentle reader! and see what it does for you.
i decided to give myself more time. consciously. indeed, that's all it took. i knew that walking to school took 20 minutes if i cut it close, but i decided to give myself 30. i always made it to class/meetings early, but i kept at it regardless. i knew that if i stepped up my pace a tad bit, i'd make it across the street before the 'hand' stopped blinking, but i consciously decided not to let my pace depend on the street signals. i taught myself to schedule 3 things for the weekend instead of 5. and then 2 instead of 3. as a result, i found time to spend several blissful hours by lake elizabeth last weekend. and what a reward that was!
the rewards permeate their way through to the week's existence. i find i have much more time. all the time. i have time to sit on my favorite bench by the campanile and to "pause and reflect" (as the bench says to do). very literally, i have found myself time to stop and smell the flowers. the benefits are endless, and i discover them afresh every day.
so slow it down, gentle reader! and see what it does for you.
4 comments:
So glad you blogged about this! I tried to persuade N.R. to see this way a long time ago, but it was clear we didn't see eye to eye on this one. I second your recommendation of slowing things down. The more I've made this shift in my life, the more at peace I find myself. It's about finding a balance, though. A certain amount of engagement and activity can create healthy habits. This shift to slow things down, for me, is something that has taken years... in fact, I've been working on it since high school... but it also helps one prioritize. What really matters?
Too often we measure our self-worth by a sense of busy-ness. But busy-ness for what end? And could we not contribute greater value by having slightly less to do and more time to do each thing better? like more time to connect with others and do the self-work that does require this intentional time to "pause and reflect"?
you're so right about finding the balance. i feel, almost, that everything is about that central thing - finding the right balance. one cannot be an extreme introvert, nor be an extreme extrovert. one needs time with the world, and just as much time with oneself. the more i become conscious of my breathing (thanks to tnh), the more i love the feeling of breathing comfortably. it is addictive, and that's what drives this need for balance :).
indeed, the question "what really matters" is important to ask oneself every day. often, we find we're spending time pointlessly on things we think matter. a week later, if not a day later, that time may seem completely wastefully spent. so often, we regret the passage of time that could have been used well. even with those we love, it is not important that we see them every day or every week, or as i'm finding - even every month :), but it is important that when we do see them, we are mindful of each other's presence and value it for what it really means to us. quality over quantity, certainly.
busy-ness for what end is exactly right. i do not know. we chase ourselves around the world looking for what we can find what was always to be found only in our backyards. know what i mean?
"slowing down - no it didn't 'just happen', i had to work hard to make it happen."
so true. thanks for sharing this invaluable thought. will definitely try to slow down things.
-gaurav
gaurav - a pleasure to provide you with any food for thought :). do share your own experiences!
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