Driving home one day I noticed there was a car riding really close behind me. There wasn’t a line of cars, no heavy traffic, not even flashing lights of an emergency vehicle anywhere in sight. All of a sudden, he veers left, lays on the gas, pulls ahead of me, then cuts me off. All this effort only to turn onto another street less than a quarter mile down the road, and it caused me to have to slow down to avoid rear-ending him.
Was I driving 10 miles below the speed limit? No. How about letting him know he’s “number one”. Negative, Batman. Then why?
Was I driving 10 miles below the speed limit? No. How about letting him know he’s “number one”. Negative, Batman. Then why?
As is probably the case with most large cities, road rage and careless driving are endemic in Houston. A volatile concoction that has in many cases lead to death.
I will be the first to admit that I was at one time one of those wild creatures, swerving ridiculously and driving at break-neck speeds only to arrive 2 minutes sooner. I have changed though, and surprisingly enough, it’s not because I’m an anger addict going cold-turkey. It’s even simpler than that.
Life does not have to be lived at break-neck speeds.
I learned this the hard way. It's no surprise that the pace in metro life is very fast. I almost had a mental breakdown trying to learn to speed up, but then I learned how to slow everything down, around me.
Instead of focusing on the negative aspects of speeding through everything I’m going to focus on a few of the positives that have come into my life by slowing down.
Meals:
By slowing this down, I now eat less and feel better after mealtimes. Studies have shown that weight can be regulated by the speed at which we eat. Eating too fast means that our bodies don’t release chemicals to our brain fast enough, letting us know we’re full too late. Obviously, this has implications about over-eating and weight gain. Glad to say that I have gone from eating a Chipotle burrito and wanting more to barely being able to finish just one. Nice on the wallet, and nice on the waistline.
Work:
What if I were to tell you that I’ll pay you $10 million dollars to work an entire month straight? That’s 24 hrs x 30 days. Any takers? Didn’t think so. So why even bring it up? Welcome to karoshi or as we call it here in the states job-related stress. We may not work an entire month straight, with no breaks, but we do work at a pace that affects our health and effectiveness. As a hint, multi-tasking will be the end of you. Learn to single-task effectively. Slowing down has given me better focus and reduces stress at work, thus, improving productivity and my sense of well-being.
Self-Satisfaction:
You’d be surprised how much time is whittled away by unnecessary commitments. Yes, I enjoy being socially responsible; however, the point of it is lost when you’re stretched too thin. To give it perspective, let’s break down a normal workday. We spend about an hour getting ready in the morning, drive an hour to work, work for eight hours, hour drive back home, spend about three hours eating (preparation included) an hour to get ready for the next day and eight hours to sleep. This leaves us with approximately one to three hours of “free” time. Surprised? No wonder we often bite off more than we can chew and end up running around a fractured person never giving enough to the people and activities we love. Many rush through work and stay busy with social lives, social group activities, sports, classes, or hobbies. I’m not saying we should give up all commitments, but I do find it necessary to part with those commitments that don’t fit into your lifestyle, dreams, or goals. The Soap Closet and this blog are perfect examples of what happens when one slows down and focuses in on their goals and dreams.
“But I can’t just give it up! People depend on me. I have a lot of work to do and I’m expected to be the example for others. Slowing down isn’t realistic for those of us who actually work.”
To that I say, “bull-to-the-shit”. The world is not going to come crashing down without you. Everyone has “a lot of work to do” but that doesn’t mean you have to jump on the hamster wheel and peel out. Reel that in and change the way you work to avoid rushing. Yes, you should be the example for others and show them that it is possible to do less and get more done than those on the hamster wheel. And by the way, let me tell you something about reality, it’s only reality if you accept that there isn’t any other way. How about taking responsibility for your life and fixing it? I promise that absolutely no one will enable you to slow down. It's solely up to you.
I’m not going to go on about becoming more responsible with life. That blog will come later. For now, though, slow down and give yourself the time to reflect upon the things you do and how you do them. Once you’ve decided to slow down and reflect on the choices you’ve made in life, you’ll find yourself better prepared to take the next step to actually begin living your life at the pace you choose as opposed to allowing others to set that pace for you.