"Slow down and everything you are chasing will come around to catch you."
~ John DePaola
I once heard a story about a man who achieved great success early in life. He lived in the fast lane, both literally and figuratively. One morning, as he sped to work in his brand new sports car, he thought he saw something dart out between the parked cars lining the street of an urban neighborhood. He slowed down just long enough to glance in his mirrors. There was nothing there. He didn't think too much of it and continued.
Suddenly, he heard a loud thud on the passenger side door of his car. This time, he stopped. He got out of the car and found a dented door and brick lying next to the car. He looked around and saw a young boy staring at him, wide-eyed and teary. Angrily, he asked the boy if he had thrown the brick. The boy responded that he had and was apologetic, explaining that his brother had fallen and he wasn't strong enough to pick him back up. He said he'd tried to get the man's attention several times, but that he didn't notice, didn't stop, and there was no one else around to assist.
The man turned to look down the street and saw an older boy lying on the sidewalk with an overturned wheelchair beside him. He softened, walked over, picked up the boy and put him back in his wheelchair. He wished the brothers well and watched as they wandered down the street together.
As he walked back to his car, he decided not to repair the dent in the door. He believed it was a good reminder that no one should move through life so fast that it is necessary to throw bricks at them in to get their attention.
Indeed.
Ghandi said, "There's more to life than increasing its speed". However, we live in a forward momentum society where great emphasis seems to be placed on the fast track. We somehow feel inadequate if we aren't constantly hustling and bustling. We often have the illusion that there isn't enough time to do what needs doing, that we can't get enough done. We deny ourselves the time to slow down because we feel it is a waste. I would argue, however, that finding time in each day to clear your mind, still your body, and focus on nothing except your breath significantly increases productivity, reduces stress, and provides an opportunity to reset and refocus.
We must find ways to enjoy life more by slowing down… for when we go too fast, we not only miss the scenery and risk needing metaphorical bricks to capture our attention, but also we lose our sense of where we are going and the reason for which we are going there.
Live life at a "no bricks required" pace.
Slow Down Playlist
