“Slow down and enjoy life. It’s not only the scenery you miss by going to fast — you also miss the sense of where you are going and why”
Eddie Cantor
If you are one of my regular readers, then you know we’ve been really rushing along so far and I’ve shown you some pretty high powered, highly focused ideas. As my friend said to me “it stops you right where you are and dumps you on the train to success“.
It’s now time for a little change of tact. We’ve already talked a bit about words of power and getting focus and this is all stuff for getting us motivated and moving towards our goals. It’s all quite pumped up stuff so I want to focus on something different today. Something just as important but much slower
Why Do We Never have Time?
In the modern world its quite easy to get caught up in the rush and become anxious, short sighted and make rash decisions. When these are over there are more choices to be made yesterday!
However, even if you are moving at the speed of light, these anxious feelings are not going to take you where you really want to be going. In fact, they are most likely taking you the opposite direction. You need tochoose to slow down from time to time.
Before you decide to make the effort to slow down, realize that in order to get ahead and improve your life you have to choose your direction. As you live, choose your destination.
If you are just floating along then you might get lucky, but if you take the time to look where you are going and to plan your route then you WILL get lucky. Once you understand this, then you can see the importance of slowing down.
If you are being pulled along with the demands of daily life then you aren’t choosing your direction, its being dictated to you like one-way street. You need to pull over and plan your route, decide where YOUwant to go.
How Can I Slow Down?
As you sit there and begin to slow down you will find yourself becoming more self-aware. As you become more self-aware you will start to make more decisions that point your life in the right direction. If you don’t then you will also have the chance to notice this fact. Slowing down allows you to make choices that will last for longer.
Here are 10 things I sometimes do to slow down and notice where I’m going:
- Take a long bath and lock the door.. heaven!
- When I’m late for an appointment, I don’t rush, I’m already late
- Brush my teeth at half-pace (it’s more difficult than you imagine)
- Notice all the beauty and wonder around me when I walk, even of a concrete building
- Slow down my inner dialogue like a record going s.l.o.w.
- Do a 5 minute meditation
- Take 3 deep breaths and decide to go about whatever I’m about to do peacefully
- Stand. Don’t walk on the escalator
- Sit behind the driver sticking to the speed limit when I’m driving and smile
- Turn off my mobile phone and enjoy being uncontactable
You can choose 10 things of your own and get in the habit of just slowing down and noticing where you are going for a small time everyday.
As you learn that those pressing demands, those anxious voices and that constant pressure isn’t what has to control you, you will become more liberated and free to choose your own direction.
You can begin to notice your thoughts rather than just react to them. It gives you the control over your destiny. See a pressure and decide to do nothing. Sense a thought of anger and decide how to react to it. Hear a call and don’t answer it. Make your reaction your choice. This all comes from slowing down.
Simply put, slow down, look where you are going and don’t get caught up in useless sh$&.
The task:
Remember to make the choice to slow down at least 3 times a day for a month and take the time to notice your thoughts and reactions. FOR 1 MONTH!!
