Slow down

As I sit in my backyard on this beautiful Sunday morning, a thought came to my mind. How important is it to slow down and just be? How much good it does for us. A couple of things have happened over the last week or so that made me think again of the importance of that.

I was driving to pick up my husband. I was early and had a time to spare. As a matter of fact, I even needed to slow down so that I was on time and there would be no need to wait for him. It was such a strange feeling not to rush. It seemed like the whole universe had slowed down with us. Even my daughter, who was with me, noticed the shift and said, "Mom, it is like everyone is moving in slow motion with us." Quite unusual, but it felt good. Very refreshing.

The second situation occured yesterday when I was walking with Coco, the dog we have been looking after for a week. I was able to look at the houses, flowers and everything around. Although I initially intended to think about this blog post, I found myself simply enjoying the present moment. It, too, was incredibly refreshing.

Rushing is my default mode; I often feel an inherent sense of urgency. I think it got heightened by having children. There is always somewhere I need to be to drop someone off, or pick someone up.

Let’s do a little exercise. Think about the time you were rushing somewhere. How is your body feeling? How are you breathing? My body gets tense, and my breath is short. I have tightness in my chest and my jaws. So if I am in that state quite a lot, it can’t be too good for me, can it? How is it for you? Are you similar?

So let’s pause, let’s take micro breaks, let’s deepen our breaths, let’s enjoy the world as we know it, and celebrate the good things and the beauty of what surrounds us. Think of the little sparks of joy you can have in your life. Especially now, when the world seems broken when it seems like there is no hope. Especially now, be brave and find love, joy and gratitude in the little things.

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With love

Mags

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Photo by Emma Simpson on Unsplash