When I was a kid, I was always told that I ate too slowly. Back then there didn’t seem to be any hurry. Even today, I’m a slow eater. I find that when I’m mindful of how I eat, I tend to be mindful in all my other tasks. But when life gets busy, everything gets busy. Even amidst the height of busyness, I love “stepping out of myself” and watch the frenzy around me. I love to observe the world and I find the world is my greatest teacher. I love being a constant student of life and the world. Every day I learn something from my patients, my children, my wife, my golf mates. Every day is a constant unfoldment.

This week coming up, I’d like you to observe the pace at which you are functioning. How fast are you speaking? How fast are you driving? How fast are you eating? How fast are your thoughts racing? How much quiet, silence and space do you experience. I suspect for many of you, it’s all happening on autopilot and it’s just surviving one day to the next. For me, it’s when I notice that my mind and my thoughts have too much speed and action that it’s time to “step out”, take a few breaths and slow down.

We all have our own pace, tempo and rhythm, but for most of us, learning to slow down can be one of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves. Slow down and be comfortable with doing less, striving for less, and even being less in our own and others eyes. It is a feeling of great freedom. Imagine not feeling like you need to justify your “doing”. For me, there is nothing more enjoyable for than taking the dog for a simple slow walk. It’s not really exercise. I’m not getting a workout. But there’s something very calming and settling about walking along a river amidst the trees and simply enjoying the natural beauty of the moment. We all need to find our “everyday moments”. 

It’s not the periodic amazing things in life that we need. We need everyday moments of calm, slowness and bliss. It’s what makes life beautiful.

This week, be mindful of pace and speed in your life and just try and slow it down a bit.

In Health and Wellness

Ranjit