Slow Down Boldly
Three thoughts:
All of the challenges that once stood in your way, all of the emotions that used to feel unbearable, all of the patterns that felt impossible to break, you have faced these barriers and have overcome them. The past did not win, your effort did. Who you were before is long gone and who stands here now is new, fresh, tested, and full of experience. The difference of your state of mind from when you began your journey, to how it is now, is significant. Mental qualities that support your thriving are never won easily; they have to be constructed patiently because they are to become the foundation for your new life. The lightness, clarity, and skill you have from observing yourself took time and intention to build, but now it is yours. Taking a step back from serious inner-work so you can take a good look at how far you have come helps put things in perspective and it gives you the boost you need to keep going. Better moments are here, and even better days are on their way. Keep unbinding the past that weighs down the mind, let go of the tension that limits your ability to wholeheartedly enter into the present, heal the fear that stops you from aligning with your highest goals – this is how you stay committed to your growth.
A sense of self that rejects impermanence is bound to crash upon the shores of struggle. If your identity is not flexible enough to allow for change, the waves of life will push against you, revealing how your attachments never had the capacity to control reality. Mental pain decreases when we can see ourselves and all that is around us through the reality of change. Things begin, they last for some time, and then they end, that is the movement of life, that is the law that holds together this universe of mind and matter. Collectively, we have a tendency to appreciate beginnings more than endings. Normally, endings fill us with fear, but the wise who embrace impermanence, use it as a motivator to live with greater presence, to love more openly, and to live without holding back. Your relationship with change will define your life. A happy life requires you to embrace change as much as possible.
In a society based on speed and productivity, moving slowly is a radical act. We get so caught up in moving at a fast pace because of the fear of falling behind. We do not realize how the need to rush is often self-imposed. We are partially motivated by what we think others are doing, but these thoughts are not fully based in reality, they are largely the creation of our own imagination. There is an attachment to hierarchy and the desire to not be at the bottom of it. The perception of hierarchy is something that we even impose on growth, healing and wisdom – we measure ourselves against others to see “who is better” or “who is ahead.” The attachment to speed and hierarchy is a sickness of ego. There is nothing wrong with having goals and accomplishing great things, but when we are primarily consumed with being ahead of others we are no longer working with a balanced mind and we are causing ourselves suffering through the process. Is it really a win if all the way through you suffered under all of this self-imposed mental tension? Working and creating without attachment, making things for your own good and the good of others, moving without strict time limits, finding the balance between being committed and not causing yourself tension – this is how the brave and wise move through life.
Clarity & Connection:
My new book, Clarity & Connection, is six weeks old today! It is also now available around the world. Soon it will be translated into Dutch, German, and Brazilian Portuguese.
You can get a copy through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop, Book Depository for international orders, and at your local bookstore. Amazon is fully restocked and has plenty copies of C&C again.
If you loved the book and have the time, please leave a review on Amazon and Goodreads. A good review makes a big difference.
New Podcast:
Recently, I had an amazing conversation with my friend Mark Groves. We went deep on topics like personal growth, relationships, wisdom learned from the pandemic, and I got to tell him more about Vipassana meditation. He is one of my favorite people to talk to and is quite wise when it comes to relationships. Hope you enjoy our convo.
New Books I Just Picked Up:
I have always been a fan of Big History and Futurism. Taking a look at our global situation helps illuminate what is happening in our personal lives.
Journal Prompt:
In what part of your life can you slow down? Where is the need to rush coming from? Do you have the energy to let go of hierarchy when it pops up in your mind and just focus on living your best life? Have you taken the time to truly take a look at how far you have come and enjoy the results?
Links:
Clarity & Connection Barnes & Noble