“There is more to life than increasing its speed.”
— Gandhi
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Gandhi was no slouch.
Not only did he get a lot of things done, he made a huge impact in terms of the difference he wanted to make in the world. Gandhi fundamentally affected millions of people, guiding, inspiring them, showing them how to be better humans and live a better life.
And he still has an impact, decades after his death.
Did you know he took a whole day of silence where he talked to no one?
A select few got through, of course. But he only answered questions with a handful of written words.
“A chance is a fine thing!”, you might think, especially if you’re full on with family and career and all the rest.
But why did this man, who was fully engaged in his mission in life, feel it necessary to take a whole day off to go within?
He found himself so in demand, he started to lose his connection to the source of his wisdom and energy … the very thing that meant he could make the difference he wanted to make in the world.
So he prioritised his connection to it.
Remember his famous saying to first of all “Be the change you wish to see in the world” … ?
Being before doing: be so you can do the very best thing – and even perhaps with a smile on your face.
Stepping back from, and slowing down in, the busyness and mayhem of life is the last thing we want to do, it’s the last thing we think we have time for … but it is the very thing that we need to do.
More time and space: mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually – everything is better with a little space.
The alternative is that we rush and we hurry and we get hasty – and that is the enemy not only of love, as Steve Biddulph, the parenting expert, once wrote, but of everything:
Creativity, clarity, accuracy, patience, wisdom, joy, peace, contentment … the whole shooting match of what makes life go from stressed and shouty and less than satisfying to better and Good.
If I had a magic wand it would be to help people see the power of stepping back and slowing down.
All the stress and frustration and self-doubt lifts.
The pressure of getting everything done yesterday.
The snappiness and frazzle, the not being the person you know you can be.
I understand the arguments why you can’t possibly step back and slow down. Who has a whole day to themselves, especially if you have a family?
But it doesn’t need to take long.
Simply taking this moment to breathe one deep breath or to think an Ascension Attitude and let that return you to your centre and align you with present moment awareness only takes a few seconds.
It actually doesn’t need to take time at all.
It’s more an attitude, an approach to life itself.
Enjoy the journey.
Why do we push and strive and struggle so hard anyways?
To get to the end so we can relax, we can enjoy, so we can get started with the thing we want …?
Enjoy your journey … prioritise your peace.
A whole day, maybe twenty minutes here and there in your day, maybe a bunch of mindful and aware moments when you realise you’re caught up in negativity or a past/future you can’t do anything about …
Whatever – prioritise your peace.
It’s what makes you who you are at your best, and it means everything is so much easier.
Slow down. Step back. Make the most of your moments.
And enjoy, for life is short.
Go well!
Arjuna