It seems like just about everyone I’ve talked to lately has commented about the accelerated pace of their lives.
I hear it in ubiquitous phrases, like, “I’ve just been so busy, flat out, swamped, etc.”
I feel it in the genuine regret I experience when I have to say no to something I want to do or find myself postponing being with a friend or colleague whose company I enjoy because I’m booked solid.
Although it’s comforting to know I’m not alone, it’s also alarming to realize that the goal of living a more balanced rhythm is eluding so many of us.
Could over-scheduling be like global warming, sneaking up on us by degrees and threatening our well-being?
Fortunately, last October, after a period of trying to normalize my overextendedness resulted in failure, I became painfully aware that I was driving myself too hard.
Living in an age that upholds the myth that technological advancements expand our capacity to do more with less time—somebody show me an app for sleep or leisure—it’s no wonder we’ve become humans constantly doing, instead of humans seeking to become whole.
I finally stopped long enough to face the fact that I was in a pattern of physical, mental and spiritual depletion and it wasn’t a passing blip on the radar screen.
A hectic summer had become an event-filled fall, and I was heading into the stress of the holidays without any respite from the press of doing more than was reasonable for one person to accomplish.
Then, just as I was beginning to feel very much like a race car propelling myself around a dangerous track, unsure if I had enough gas to make it to the finish line, I brought a Prius.
ZEN CAR
It’s telling that I owned the new car for almost two weeks before I had enough space on my calendar to set up a time for my husband show me the difference between driving a hybrid and gas only vehicle.
The first thing I noticed was that it was so quiet. The sense of gliding noiselessly out of the driveway and coasting down inclines was calming, but the best part was when I started to understand the computer display on the dashboard which shows fuel consumption and battery use as you drive.
I discovered that when you apply the brake the battery recharges!
There it was, right in front of me, a fundamental truth—slowing down renews your energy. The lesson alone seemed almost worth the price of the car.
But there was more. The display clearly showed that you use less energy by accelerating gradually to full speed.
Did this mean that I could be more efficient by easing into even the most demanding day, starting with simple tasks, like filing the client folders from the day before or making a few notes related to upcoming appointments? For a while, I’ve observed that writing projects invariably go better when I allow myself to start out playing with a few thoughts before I get into that “overdrive,” have-to-get-it done mental state.
Under pressure, it may sometimes be necessary to take a “heavy-footed” approach, but when I think about the days which are both productive and enjoyable, I can see that they are times I have built momentum slowly.
There’s still one more lesson I learned from the hybrid. When I’m cruising, in order to maintain a certain speed, I don’t have to press down on the accelerator as hard or as often as I think.
The same principle applies to life as well—I can ease up and still keep going forward.
PEOPLE ARE HYBRIDS, TOO
How easy it is to get caught up in treating ourselves as if we were some kind of machine. Just fill us up with enough food, water, caffeine, etc. and we will keeping chugging along.
Living in an age that upholds the myth that technological advancements expand our capacity to do more with less time—somebody show me an app for sleep or leisure—it’s no wonder we’ve become humans constantly doing, instead of humans seeking to become whole.
Yes, our bodies will respond to being tanked up with a power bar or a caffeine charged drink or a latte, but the parts of us that operate on spiritual energy—our creativity, empathy, enlightenment—don’t work that way. They will keep running down, like a battery.
We’re not gas driven. We’re hybrids.
Bev-
I just love your newsletters. It is always the simple truths that are most powerful. And we certainly need to SLOW DOWN to really see them. Reading your words and taking time out to write and reflect on this is in its way slowing down. thanks!
Wow! This was the perfect thing to read this morning. We all need to be reminded that it is not only ok but necessary to slow down and recharge. I am passing it along to my friends that all live this every day. Thank you Bev.
Lovely thoughts on a spring slowdown, Bev. Thanks always for sharing. xo
Beverly,
None of us can hear this message too often. I think about this topic every day – either because my clients are stuck because of this dilemma – or I am!
Life moves quickly. We can let ourselves be dragged into the whirlwind unconsciously, or we can decide to become mindful of the life we live in each moment, and celebrate it.
Let’s not fool ourselves, it’s a struggle to battle the social expectations of moving fast and doing as much as we possibly can in every given day. It’s up to us to question that form of living. Thanks for the great reminder.
~Terry Del Percio
Hi Bev,
I am lending my husband my Prius since it is easier for him to drive than do yoga. I agree with you whole heartedly that we all need to slow down and revive our systems as we enter into Spring.
This was the perfect reminder for me to add to the top of my “to do nothing” list.
During my walk in Nickerson Park today, I watched a Wild Turkey take each step slowly and “conciously” as she gracefully went about her moment in time.
All I could do was stand still and enjoy the Peace.
(0: W
Excellent column! For a l-o-n-g time I have been saying … “Breathe” … which I learned through Yoga. Breathe and Brake begin with the same letter. It is like a prescription: when exhausted, take a breath (maybe two)! It slows you down enough to check your speedometer.
Bev,
I just LOVE this column; it’s a fabulous metaphor and reminder. And what I loved most about it is that I could hear your voice as I read it. Copies of this are going right in my waiting room.
Thanks,
Carol
Thank you, Bev, for this wonderful post. Yes, yes, and yes. And yes.
Thank you Bev for the reminder! This was a great read and came at a great time when I’m headed back to work on Monday! Maternity leave is over and I’m not quite feeling “recharged” yet. Will definitely find the small ways to recharge each day to keep me going out the door with the 3 little ones in tow!
Good to “hear” your voice if only thru your column! So funny about your “zen car” …here is my story:
I have been driving a Prius for 1 1/2 years. I love it, so quiet, great mileage, fun to learn, amazing machine with lots of automatic features, bluetooth, touchscreen controls, etc. etc. – sometimes seems smarter than me! Then… in November, my daughter, comes home for Thanksgiving in her old car which dies in the driveway. She needs a car at school- pronto. Relatives have an old car in excellent shape that they are getting rid of for dirt cheap and can drive it down the next day. It is a 96 BMW convertible, standard transmission. A car I would never buy. Of course, Sophie doesn’t know how to drive a standard so we send her back to school with the Prius and plan on teaching her how to shift gears over xmas break. And then I start driving the BMW…..and I call it my “zen mindfulness car” and everyone looks at me like I am crazy….but it is ….because when I drive it I can ONLY drive it. It takes two hands to shift and requires muscle to steer. My left leg gets a work out using the clutch, there is no way I could even think about using my cell phone, drinking coffee, etc. Since it is an old car even with the top up the air whooses around. It is a full sensory experience and when driving I am DRIVING and that is it. Totally zen. It does have a powerful engine though and is loads of fun to step on it and feel it hugging the road. As the ad says “the ultimate driving machine” . It is a lesson in doing one thing at a time well, no multi-tasking. So for now I plan on enjoying it at least thru the summer so I can experience it with top down! And when it dies I will probably get another Prius.
And I thought only guys told car stories!@Molly Eldridge,