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Want to go fast? Maybe it’s time to go slow.
There’s no denying it, today’s world is fast. Days fly by in what feel like minutes, there’s always more to do, more to fix and more to fit in. But when every second of every day is go-go-go and circumstances and situations change so fast, it’s easy to lose sight of whether what you’re doing is still what you want or even, in fact, what you need. The solution to our perceived inadequacies in this fast-paced way of living is often grasping at “more,”; more stuff, more success, more achievement to feel some semblance of control as we start to drown in a sea of ‘more’. But what if this is just perpetuating a self-fulfilling prophecy of actually having less? Our culture has been subscribing to a prescription of excess for so long now that we often fail to stop and look at what our lives are actually lacking. While the chaos and consumerism of daily life is often seen as a solution to our ailments, Slow Living suggests that this may be the problem itself.
A way of life that borrows ideas from Buddhism, the concept of Slow Living is deeply rooted in the idea of mindfulness and encourages us to consider that there is more to this world than a schedule jam-packed with endless responsibilities and living a life at breakneck speed. Awareness of the world, appreciation of family, an affinity for living gently - these are the things that Slow Lifestylers consider the answer to getting what we truly crave.
Rather than listening to the deafening clamor of society, Slow Living asks people to listen the slow and steady beating of their own heart instead; both literally and metaphorically - to feel their chest rise and fall with each breath, to return to the rhythm of nature, and to live life in the eye of the storm rather than in the proverbial hurricane.
While it may seem difficult to live these ideals on a daily basis, it’s not such a stretch to incorporate a portion of Slow Living into your everyday routine. Hobbies such as meditation, yoga, gardening, or hiking are all activities that both calm and open the mind. Even enjoying a meal with your family or putting away electronic devices while spending quality time with your spouse are simple ways to slow down and reconnect with your personal reality.
And it’s in these quiet moments when we’re pulled into the calm and soothing eye of our daily storms that we can step back and see the bigger pictures of our lives. Of the direction we’re going, of what’s really important, where we’re succumbing to the expectations of society and culture… until finally by saying no to the things that aren’t important and saying an emphatic yes to the things that are, we’re suddenly achieving so much more.
Whether you’re looking to overhaul your lifestyle or simply appreciate those special daily moments more, Slow Living quiets the excess noise and static of today’s busy world and creates an environment where it’s possible to hone in on what truly matters… and just in case you aren’t quite convinced yet, we’ve also read that it can prevent visible signs of aging too. This slow living thing is sounding better and better. Someone pass me my lap blanket, I think it’s time for a nice long nap…
On our bed: good old fashioned cotton sheets. On our bookshelf:
