A Reminder That It’s Important To Slow Down
In life, we tend to be fast paced and on the go 24/7. We’re sometimes taught if we’re not busy working we’re lazy, not goal oriented, not reaching our full potential, wasting our life away, foolish or not accomplishing anything. I used to believe that for most of my life. It pretty much took a mental breakdown for me to realize that slowing down is one of the healthiest things one can do for their mind, body and spirit.
Slowing down doesn’t mean you’re quitting or giving up. It’s the exact opposite. Slowing down can push you in the direction you’re meant to go in. Slowing down can help you to appreciate the overlooked things in life. Slowing down puts you in a better frame of mind and can connect you on different levels of life. Slowing down can help you see what is important and what is not. Slowing down can also put you in a position to help others who are in need. Slowing down can bring clarity to your mind. Slowing down makes you stronger than you think.
When I finally had to slow down I not only had time for myself but for the ones I loved and cared about too.
During my time of recovery, I was a bit shaken at first. It’s not easy putting your daily life and routine on pause. I wanted to be working every day and earning a living just so my family and friends wouldn’t see me as a disappointment. When you’re around others whose lives are progressing you want yours to progress as well. Even though I knew working at that particular moment wasn’t best for me, I still struggled to cope with it.
Each morning, I decided I was going to set a routine that I knew I could handle. I started to meditate, pray and read my devotional each day. This gave me a clear mind and heart to take on whatever challenges I would face throughout the day and week. I would then write down weekly, monthly and yearly goals. Reading these every day brought me closer and closer to my true life purpose. Believing that my life is changing, I’m evolving and walking in the direction I’m meant to go in was reassuring. I knew that I was made for so much more than what I’d been tolerating at first.
Along with my meditations and prayer, I started to practice Yoga. I’m no expert at it but the more I practiced the better I became. My body was finally centered and at peace. My mind was becoming stronger as well as my muscles. I became more flexible. My spirit was becoming renewed. I could feel new life and energy being restored to my body and it felt amazing.
There were plenty of moments where I sat in silence. Not because I was sad or anything, but because I forgot how calming it is to be still. To just take a deep breath and listen to the world around you. To hear the birds chirping, leaves rustling, crickets in the night, a gentle breeze cooling your skin and even hearing your neighbors laughing while they gather on their balcony or porch and fellowship with their loved ones on a Saturday night. These were some of the small intimate things I started to notice about life. I began to appreciate what was around me. My outlook on life became amazingly different than before. I welcomed change I saw no need to react to meaningless situations that occurred that would’ve riled me up before. I began to truly see the importance and significance to my life. Slowing down helped me to live in the moment instead of rushing through life with no purpose or direction. It’s brought me strength and even challenges that I now take on one step at a time. This slow-down has made me a better person on the inside and out.