slowly….into each season
Moving slowly through life isn’t something we often see supported in modern culture. Keep moving is often the message. Keep reaching for the next thing, keep striving for the next goal. I think people are hungry for a different message. How about, move more slowly? Stop, and notice what’s around you? Pause to witness what you’ve already done?
When we can give pause in our lives, after small daily tasks or big life projects, we are able to integrate all that we’ve done, celebrate, or ponder the lessons we may have learned. When we pause in life and wait for the next inspiration or rush of motivational energy to flow through us, it’s more than likely in alignment with our heart’s desires and will bring a deeper sense of contentment.
What is the rush through life all about, anyway? What are we rushing towards? Or perhaps, what are we running from?
When we’re hurrying through each day, we often don’t get to enjoy what we’ve accomplished. We miss moments with loved ones, beautiful scenes in nature, and perhaps even important lessons or messages that circumstances in life provide for us.
In fact, there is no need to push ourselves through time…we are always moving! The Earth doesn’t stop spinning (thanks for that, by the way, Earth!), the seasons never cease to come and go, our body systems are always working…so there’s really no need for us to hurry through. We have a natural invitation to follow the flow of life, the flow of our bodies, the seasons of the earth and the seasons of life. This flow will sometimes propel us forward more quickly, and sometimes the flow will invite us to move more slowly into each season.
We can still set goals, work towards our goals and achieve them without rushing, but that’s not something we often remember, or perhaps are even aware of. It’s almost like we’re in a constant competition with ourselves to do more, get more, be more, make more. This gives us a never ending dissatisfaction in life that keeps us racing through life, and so we may end up missing the experiences of what’s happening to and around us.
The art of slowing down is something that helps remind me to be more present and enjoy life. One thing I practice and have come to love is witnessing the changes that take place where I call home in Northern California each season. I practice taking in the beauty of the trees, the sky and landscape that Mother Nature offers. Don’t get me wrong, I still have to remind myself to slow down. Yet, the more I take pause, the less I have to remind myself to slow down. The more I slow down, the more I find myself appreciating the little moments in life, or facing emotions that have been rising to the surface.
And aren’t those little moments ALL of life? All strung together like a beautiful, sometimes messy tapestry that we are designed to experience?
And Still…..
When I go through difficult seasons in life, that’s where I find the greatest challenge to slow down. I have to consciously stop myself from distracting myself from feeling and facing the challenge. Those are the times I want to avoid the stillness, to run and hide from difficult emotions. Yet the stillness is where the quiet profundity can be realized and taken in; deeper meanings and connections of life’s circumstances can be realized and understood.
I sometimes try to push down the grief or the anger that wants to be seen and felt….and I’ll find things to busy myself that hurry me through each moment. Yet, for each of us, those emotions, those deeper themes in life are lessons, points of wisdom and growth that will never go away. They just follow us and wait for us to pause, to create space, at first patiently, and then those lessons get louder and louder if we keep ignoring them and rushing through life.
One thing I’ve learned to do over time is not to ignore the emotions completely. This helps avert a “healing crisis” or complete overwhelm and burnout. I’ve learned to make time for myself, to explore what is surfacing, and when needed, get help and support from others. This has been a work in progress, and I’m getting better at it bit by bit, season by season.
I think there is a way to change the modern rush culture, the Keeping Up with the Joneses paradigm, or whatever you want to call it. It’s called: “Turn off your phone”, or “Take some time of work”, or “Watch the sun set/rise”, or “Close your eyes and listen to the sound of the rain”.
It’s the small moments we can learn to be present with that will take us slowly into the next moment, and these moments teach us to flow into the next chapter and the next season of our lives.