Slow Down, You're Moving Too Fast!

Enjoying life in the crazy, busy, schedule dependant, blackberry addicted world we live in is easier said than done. 

Unless you work from home, commuting an hour each way in traffic that barely moves at a crawl, or waiting for a bus or train that either doesn’t come or is packed when it finally arrives adds years to your life. Road rage gets your blood boiling, blackberries extend your work day, bills are on your mind, commitments at home, not enough time in the day...it all adds up and something has to give.

So how to go about enjoying the life you have worked so hard to build for yourself? 

How about utilizing some of the five senses that you have been given and in the hectic day take for granted, by going for a walk? It doesn’t cost anything, and can be done at any time of the day.

Smell: Breathe, I mean REALLY breathe, deeply and slowly. Take in the smells around you, good and bad. For something different, put a blindfold on and you will be amazed at what you will notice.

Hearing: Stand still and enjoy the sounds of nature. A babbling brook, a woodpecker, a blue jay or a dove, the crack of a twig indicating an animal is near.

Sight: Take along a camera or some binoculars and appreciate the gift of sight that so many people don’t have. Notice the colours, the number of rings in a tree stump, the different species of flowers.

Touch: You don’t want poison ivy, but why not take your shoes off and feel the grass between your toes? If there is a stream, dip you feet in the water. Walk through some soft moss.

Taste: Why not take along a picnic lunch. It forces you to slow down, relax and observe your surroundings. When you eat, don’t just chew and swallow. Eat slowly and savour the tastes. It takes 20 minutes for your stomach to know you are full. Try new foods, new textures and new spices.

Taking time out of the rat race isn’t easy, but life is too short and as Simon and Garfunkel say “Slow Down, You Move Too Fast.”