Why I Am Slowing Down | Mindful Living in a Burned-Out World

Why I Am Slowing Down Intentionally And For Good

Once upon a time, many many moons ago, I believed that you needed to get ahead financially in order to succeed in life and you did this by working non stop. 

This was ingrained in me by my father who at the time was a successful businessman who also equated his worth with the amount of money he made. 

From a young age, it was ingrained in me that I was going to get an education and make my own money and I was to do this by grinding it out by any means necessary. 

When I was in college, I remember waking up on the couch after I crashed the night before from the exhaustion of working and going to school full time and him leaning over me asking if I was going to be “useless” that particular day. 

Nevermind that his mental well being, personal life, and physical health were pretty much in the toilet his entire adult life. We didn’t talk about that.

What we did talk about was how to add those zeros to the bank account. 

He died years later after suffering a massive stroke while working. Unfortunately, he also managed to isolate himself from everyone so much so, that it was 24 hours before anyone noticed that they had not heard from him.

By then, after a full day of laying on the floor as his brain filled up with blood, he was wheeled out by the paramedics only to be put in the hospital until the doctor was able to call his time of death.

In the messy aftermath of grief and regret, I often wondered how comfortable the expensive Italian marble was for him as he lay there dying all alone.

It was not until a few years later that I now know the errors of my ways in following in his footsteps in that fashion and at 47, I have decided I am no longer doing it. 

I am hereby choosing a slower life. 

I too have worked the grind so I could have a type of lifestyle I thought I deserved. I have also done it at the detriment of my mental and physical health, as well as my personal relationships. All in the name of checking off a never ending list of what I thought equated success.  

What I have come to realize is that completing this list I speak of is like trying to line drunk squirrels up in unison. It aint gonna happen….

So, without further ado, I give you my reasons as to why I am hereby slowing down from now on and I encourage anyone reading this to do the same.

1. We are not physically and mentally built for breakneck speed and society is currently addicted to it. This whole culture where we stay plugged in all the time with others having 24/7 access to us is not healthy. It serves as a constant distraction and interruption from what is really healthy. We need to move at a human pace. Not the pace of a chicken on crack.  

2. What exactly are we grinding for? Think about it…. We have grown up thinking we want the house with the picket fence, the 2.5 kids, and the dog. Lets not forget the name brand clothing, yearly vacations, and the picture perfect life on social media.

What is the point of having these things if we are too tired to enjoy them?

Furthermore, we are conditioned at an early age that those things are what will make us happy. Nevermind the notion of working on yourself. No, we have been taught to check those things off your list and you too shall be happy. 

3. A major part of my realization, or waking up, has also been noticing how busy everyone is or how busy they claim to be, like it is a badge of honor. I don’t know about you, but I think it has gotten to the point that our minds and bodies are addicted to the adrenaline of playing, “catch up.” 

Looking back on my life with a 25 year marriage along with raising 4 kids, all I remember is exhaustion, indigestion, sleepless nights, and grinding where there should have been more of things like star gazing, engaging conversations, mindfulness, alone time in a sacred space, and being in each and every precious moment.

 Which leads me to my next point…

4. When we stay busy, we miss out on what is right in front of us. Every. Time. 

We are chasing something we think we need in our lives and the truth is, it’s already there. I have found out that everything you are looking for is right in front of you. You just have to dig a bit deeper in some areas. That’s it. 

I once heard a person say that prosperity does not always appear as money. It can appear as a best friend that will do anything for you. It can also appear as 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep, an emotionally and physically satisfying relationship, good health, a roof over your head, and clean water to drink. 

I must say that I completely agree and I am making the effort to see exactly where my life is prosperous where I stand. I want to find the art and magic in things I earlier took for granted. I want to be more authentic in my life, not hurried, rushed, and formal. I want listening instead of pushing. I want flowing and not grinding. If choosing a slower life means missing out, downgrading, spending less, and just being still, then so be it. 

But I know that with this decision, I will not only find peace but my own version of prosperity as well. I will be more focused and impactful with what really does count.

I love you dad, but yes, I am now choosing to be, “useless.” I am also choosing to associate with the sober squirrels in my yard while enjoying my morning coffee in a mug I have made while I am watching the sunrise. 

I will leave you with this….

The slow living mindset may look different for everyone and it does not have to include watching tree chickens. It could be as simple as saying, “no,” to things or revamping your routine. It is your choice as to how you want it to look. However, you will know it by how your nervous system feels once the choice is made. It will just feel right, whatever that choice is….

Finally, if the notion of slowing down resonates with you too, I have created art that inspires slowing down intentionally and it is yours if you would like to have it. As a yogi, I could not help myself but to create a lotus. Simply click on the picture in this article or this paragraph and it will take you to it. Download it, save it, print it off, frame it, or share it. Put it in a space where you will see it regularly. May it inspire you as you are learning to move at a human pace too.