If you were to talk to anyone close to me, you would very quickly learn how slowly I can move. My personal life has always been tremendously methodical, and I have no intention of changing that in the near future. For many, this may seem like a stubborn approach to living, but for me it’s a profound way to stay present.
I slow down time.
It’s one way to be conscious and mindful in the fullness of my experience.
Taking it Slow is Important
I find that so many of us have a hard time staying connected to the present moment. This has an impact on our perception of our daily experiences. It’s hard to determine how you feel about the things that are happening in your life when you don’t give yourself the opportunity to feel, and be present with what’s happening inside of you.
Of course, this is easier said than done.
But why is this hard for us?
Slowing down is difficult because it offers us the opportunity to be present with our feelings. And if I know anything about the human response to feeling, I know that we often spend a lot of energy trying to avoid feeling. When we hurt, and when we experience pain, the last thing we want to do is to sit and acknowledge those feelings. In some ways, avoidance is an human imperative. We are hardwired for self preservation. Sometimes, that means avoiding feeling.
Enter denial. Numbness.
The depth and reality of our feelings makes slowing down terrifying at times. Because, what will happen to us when we do? Will we become undone? Will we ever be able to get back to neutral, let alone “good”?
But, it’s not all doom and gloom. Slowing down offers us the opportunity to be present with the really powerful positive moments too. So imagine that as you try to avoid the harder feelings in your life, you also end up unintentionally avoiding being present with what is good and right in your life.
Isn’t that a shame?
There is Freedom in Feeling
We have to remember that feeling is not a problem. To feel is to have an experience.
Whether it’s good or bad, feeling just is.
Learning to make peace with feeling, I think, is one of the biggest challenges we have as human beings on this Earth. How can we slow down enough to acknowledge the pain we feel so that we may find our way towards healing? How can we slow down enough to stay present with our accomplishments, and the beautiful moments in life that bring us joy and fulfillment? These are the things I find myself thinking about when I slow down, take a sip of coffee, and reflect.
I hope this inspires you to take a little time for yourself to slow down. Who knows what will come up for you when you do?
Be brave enough to find out.