I’ve always been a fast walker, and I mean, like, surprisingly fast for my 5’4 frame and my short legs. My pace of life was self-taught out of what I perceived as necessity and out of a desire to get more done in less time. Cutting down on the time it took to get between places or to do chores by speeding up my legs only made sense, except that until recently I never realized just how much of life I was actually missing out on.
The quality of our lives does not improve with the amount of things we accomplish or we get done. Our happiness has nothing to do with our resume or productivity, though I myself falsely believed that it did for years. It took having a tiny toddler who walks at the speed of well, often what feels like a turtle to get me to look at my pace of life differently. Suddenly, thanks to my daughter, it takes much longer to get from place to place, and I am unable to maintain the speed of life I previously mastered – and for that I am glad – for if it were not for her, I would be missing out on the magical things that surround me daily – every airplane in the sky, every dandelion along the sidewalk and every truck that passes by. I now watch the clouds with more appreciation and I feel the breeze that whips against my skin on a windy day like it’s a hug from God. The best thing about slowing down though is that it washes my anxiety away and gives me open windows to savor the present moment more than I have been able to do previously. I feel closer to God, closer to my daughter, closer to life itself, and wouldn’t you know, but I’m actually just as productive as before, just happier.
I know it can be easy to want to rush through your Monday, I get it, I’m a goal-oriented person too and anxiety comes naturally for me. But don’t do it. This Monday is too precious and has too much waiting for you to notice about it that is beautiful, but to see the beauty, you have to slow down just a little. I never knew I would be so thankful to a two-year-old for teaching me to slow down and savor the sweetness of the little things of life and to remind me that days of the week don’t matter … every day is a gift and has a place for a giggle. My wish for you is that your day will be filled with dandelions and deep hugs from God as you slow down, take the pressure off yourself and let yourself stroll through the tasks of your day.
Happy Monday!
Confidently yours,
Trish