Slow Down
Through the many innovations of past revolutions, our world has become fast-paced.
What took colonists weeks to get from England to America long ago can now be done in less than 10 hours.
Information can be spread worldwide in seconds.
It’s safe to say that we’re living in the quickest-moving infrastructure in history.
There is so much to do, to see, to get. The world is constantly moving. With this, there are many opportunities, though distractions.
It’s easy to get caught up, so it’s our responsibility to take time seriously.
The truth is that most people in this world are all over the place.
They’re doing too much and are not present.
Think about this:
- The person who does the study guide by speeding through it doesn’t get nearly equal value as the person who took things slow.
While this may be common sense, apply this reasoning to life and it’ll reign true.
By speeding through everything, you’ll miss out, your thoughts will be tangled, and you’ll be confused, regretful, and perhaps disliked.
With our topic established, in this article, we’ll go over why taking things slow is beneficial in the long run.
Think Deeply
The writer Haruki Murakami is known for his strong emphasis on emptying the mind, as it is important to flourish.
He cultivates the focus to write efficiently by eliminating distractions and doing his routine long-distance runs.
All good writers and thinkers (and smart people in general) know that having a mind that’s constantly running has no benefit. Rather, a more still and calm one will make life much better.
So how do we build this stillness? By slowing down and thinking deeply.
Don’t let thoughts wander as they please; control them. If you can conquer your mind, you can conquer your body.
Thinking deeply allows us to discover more about ourselves, and life.
Think about various subjects:
- What your life will look like over the next 5 years
- What’s important to you
- What you should be focused on currently
Thinking this way will lead us to find the truth. True, deep thought that isn’t corrupted by the loud, busy, and full-of-distractions world we live in today.
Start building this clarity.
Slow Down, Look Around
When was the last time you stopped what you were doing to soak in the world around you?
The trees, the grass, the birds chirping, or perhaps the cars rumbling.
Not its distractions or loudness but the beauty of it.
The more of the world we see, the more calm and present we become.
The sound of the crashing ocean waves, the sound of cicadas in the summer, the smell of someone grilling hotdogs, the distant sounds of the approaching storm. Take it all in.
Explore yourself as you explore the world. Every day, venture out, see something, and try to make it something new.
If you go on walks, take a turn you don’t usually take and see where it leads (just be careful).
Just find beauty beyond the electronics we take for granted and can’t live without (some of us).
Go:
- Climb a tree at the park
- Build a 4-layer snowman
- Run around in the rain
At the very minimum, go outside every day. The moment that we lose touch with nature is the moment that we become reclusive.
Slow down, look around, and take your planet in with grace.
Make Fun Memories
I believe there are main counters to depression: improving yourself, building relationships, and having fun.
The self-improvement genre pushes the idea of ‘monk mode’, consisting of “disappearing” from everyone you know and working on yourself dramatically.
While this sounds good, it doesn’t matter how successful you get financially and physically. That’s what monk mode gives you.
If you lack relationships or fun, you will never be happy.
Upgrading your social skills/going out and doing social things is a part of self-improvement.
Fuck this message of ‘focus on yourself’.
Monk mode does not justify avoiding social interaction or talking to girls.
Social skills, in my opinion, are the most important.
The first 10 months that I was on self-improvement consisted of me falling for this narrative, cutting people off.
This did nothing for me, and I’m glad I’m back where I am now: realizing my mistakes and re-establishing the urge to talk to people.
Don’t be the over-mysterious kid sitting in the corner at school and not socializing because you are “too good” for others.
Focusing on yourself is good, just don’t let go of fun and relationships. It’s a key part of the journey.
Conclusion
In this article, we’ve gone over a fundamental part of life: to slow down, go at our own pace, and cherish every moment.
If you are going after life at a good pace:
- Where you won’t get burnt out,
- But also still challenging yourself
Then working on yourself should feel almost fun. Like a game.
Sure, on some days life will feel like a chore.
Perhaps durations of weeks, months, or years. That’s okay.
Life is like a videogame, where you should always work to level up your skills and your character.
But some of us, both in life and in video games, tend to speed through to complete things as quickly as possible.
In doing this, you miss out on many opportunities.
Go slow, but not too slow.
Thanks for reading.
I’ll see you in my next article.
