Slowing Down & Embracing Life's Journey
Recently, I’ve found myself with a little writer’s block. Trying to digest my thoughts has been more challenging, and I’ve had to sit down and really focus on what I’m trying to say. As I sat down today to write my weekly post, I found myself asking what I wanted to write about. As the holiday season approaches and the business of life and social opportunities ramp up, I’ve been trying to slow down mentally. Conversely, work has been ramping up as my company continues to focus on growing. Each week, when I go into the office to begin my work day, I’ll sit down to begin my projects for the day, and before I know it, the day is gone, the sun is setting, and another day has been spent.
When I was younger, I remember adults often telling me, “Time flies when you’re having fun.” in this season of life, it seems that time is simply flying by, whether I’m having fun or not. These same adults would also say that times seem to go by faster and faster the older you get. So, as I ponder these thoughts, I wonder how I can slow down my life, how I can slow down enough to enjoy the time I’ve been given on this earth. How can I mentally and physically slow down enough in this season of my life and actually enjoy it? I have often waited for the “next” thing in life only to wait for the “next” when the previous milestone has been reached. Sometimes, I have asked God to tell me or show what He wants from me so we can move on to that “next” thing, not realizing or acknowledging the value of the current moment.
I recently listened to a podcast with Dr Jordan B. Peterson, someone I would consider a mentor of sorts. In this interview, he was asked, “How often do you think about death?” I think he is in his sixties at this point, and to many, this might not seem odd for someone in the latter half of his life. But listening to his response, he said that this was something he had always thought about, even when he was young. To some, thinking about death may seem odd and or even unhealthy, and though I think it can become unhealthy if taken to an extreme as anything can, I believe it is an essential element to slowing down. I think spending a healthy amount of time remembering that we each are finite creatures with a limited amount of time here can help put this world's problems into their proper place. It can help us slow down enough to enjoy the little things of life.
There is a secular idea that has become increasingly popular called “Mindfulness.” It is a form of meditation that allows you to put yourself in the present moment. To mentally place yourself in a position where you become fully aware. If you were washing the dishes, you would actually “feel” the water as it runs through your fingers. The idea may sound weird to some, but there is so much value in slowing down enough to truly enjoy the present moment. Our fast-paced American culture is about running from one thing to the next. I genuinely think much of today’s young adult’s dissatisfaction comes from the fact that from childhood, we are rushed from one stage of life to the next. We rush from middle school to high school, high school to college, and college to adulthood. It all becomes a blur of rushing from one thing to the next, giving little to no time to enjoy the present moment. Then, when we finally do make it to adulthood and finish college, all these lofty ideas of our careers and lives fall flat. We finally get what we want, which doesn’t satisfy our soul as expected.
As I sit here writing this with a hot cup of coffee beside me and the noisy chatter of other coffee drinkers behind me, I realize I have and do often fail to slow down. I have spent much of my life working for tomorrow, waiting for that next thing where I will finally be where I want to be and have the things I want to have. In recent weeks, I have tried to be mindful of this, so each morning, when I sit down to write in my prayer journal, I begin by writing out what I am grateful for today—learning to thank God for the things I have today and not just spend my time making requests for the things I want. In recent years, I have felt as though I am behind in life because my life does not reflect my expectations of where I thought I would be when I turned thirty.
My hope and aim is to learn to enjoy the moment and slow down enough to “enjoy the roses” along the way. All too soon, I will find myself in my sixties, wishing for my thirties and the season of life that I am in today. So rather than spending today wishing for tomorrow, I want to learn to enjoy today and look forward to tomorrow. I want to learn to be excited for tomorrow but not base my current happiness on future circumstances. Because if I do, I will never actually be happy. I will always be waiting for tomorrow; as we all know, tomorrow never gets here. When the clock finally hits midnight, we get the degree, we get the job, we get the spouse, we buy the house, we have the children, and we get those children into school and college, and all too soon, we are again left wanting and wondering when and where will we reach the place we were looking for.
I hope to learn to enjoy today, and though I am looking forward to tomorrow and the day when I can begin the next '“thing,” whatever it may be, I want to learn to live and enjoy today. I have often felt that I am behind in life because of the mistakes I’ve made, and so in an effort to make it right, I have tried to play catchup. I feel as though I am helping God in this effort. But the blessed truth is God is not surprised by where I am. I have not somehow managed to mess up God’s design for my life, even though I often have felt that I have done just that. Because I know my propensity to make a mess and be stubborn, I feel as though I, too, must also have made a mess of what God had initially planned for me. One of my favorite quotes speaks to this idea perfectly.
“The hubris of man is to believe he has the capacity to ruin the plans of God.” - Unknown
I have no idea who said it or where I first heard this idea. But I find so much comfort in it. Despite my extensive ability to make a mess, I remind myself that God has never been surprised by me. God has never been left speechless in a moment of “Well, I wasn’t ready for that.” And that is truly encouraging to me. As I write this, I am reminded of Matthew 6: 25-34
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
I am encouraged by the simple fact that the concerns and worries I experience are nothing new to God. He has been aware of the human condition since day one. He has never once been unprepared for anything we do. He has been and still is in control of all things in heaven and on earth. And that truly is a place where I can find rest and encouragement.
