✏️ The Art of Slowing Down
Life is what happens to you when you are busy making other plans.
John Lennon
We are over-concerned with how much we can get done or obtain in the shortest space of time, and often overlook the latent joy in slowing down, being present, and appreciating each passing moment.
In contemporary society, it is all about a race to the finish line. We praise those who are able to achieve great things so early: the musical prodigy, the promising academic, the athletic wonderkid. There is merit to such praise; who would not want to be in Time's 30 under 30 list? Great minds and rare talents often have some form of innate talent which, when nurtured and developed optimally and from an early age, result in amazing accomplishments early in life. However, there is something to be said for taking the less-traveled path, one which relishes every second of the human experience, and one which does not necessarily concern itself with convention or praise. The gap year in between major periods of formal schooling is not only a necessary choice for some but may perhaps even allow one to bring the best version of themselves to the table, using such a time to develop other areas of their being and re-align one's interests and passions with one's chosen direction in life.
A similar phenomenon is seen in literary circles. I see so many videos and articles about reading efficiency as if the number of books you read is more important than the lessons you learn from them and the integration of said lessons into one's being. 'I Read 40 Books in a Month' or 'I Read 1 Book a Week for 4 Years' are common titles I see, that in a way disparage the utility of slowing down when reading and taking the time to properly digest the message. Surely, different types of books must be read differently: fictional novels, often meant to be 'page-turners' and fluently read, can be [generally] read at a faster pace than, for example, a philosophical treatise. Yet too many people rob themselves of the value of a certain book, or the joy of a particular moment or period in life, by focusing too much on quantity maximization and the future and less so on thorough, quality reading and savouring the present.
Don't be afraid of taking the slow lane in life. It brings more happiness.
Jennifer West
AT
📸 Photo of the Week
Captured this serene moment on Friday.
📖 Book of the Week — Creativity: Unleashing the Forces Within by Osho
I am currently planning a thesis on creativity and picked up this book to give me some inspiration on the concept of creativity and how it can be fostered. Osho discusses how we can re-integrate the playfulness, flexibility, and creativity of our youth back into our lives.
The creative person has to dissolve all should and should nots. He needs freedom and space, vast space; he needs the whole sky and all the stars. Only then can his innermost spontaneity start growing.
Osho
💭 Quote of the Week
Do not speak evil of one another, brothers. Whoever speaks evil of a brother or judges his brother speaks evil of the law and judges the law. If you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.
James 4:11
Be tolerant with others but strict with yourself.
🔭 Sunday Best
D-Day: Operation Overlord — an overview of one of the greatest and largest amphibious landing campaigns in history. By one of my favourite history channels.
The Search for DB Cooper — the fascinating story of the only unsolved air piracy crime in commercial aviation history.
7 Ways to Practice Financial Self-Care — by writer & financial advisor Treyton Devore.
💡 Food for Thought
What you want is often exactly what you don’t need.
Cheers,
AT