Happy Luau

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Slow Down


"The Chinese written character for the word "busy" is a combination of two other characters: "killing" and "heart" ". ---Alan H. Cohen


I want to give up "busy" and "hurry" and "rushing" for 2009, don't you? Say yes to slowing down today...

And if you haven't yet entered the happyluau's Big Giveaway, do so here. Right now one of ten people will win over $100 of creative goodies and inspirations to help you to live well, laugh often, and love much. If you are not one of the wonderful 10 people who have already entered, very s-l-o-w-l-y, click here and enter by leaving a comment of any length on my post. Don't rush though, you have four more days to enter. Take your time. Relax. All day. Enjoy. Be.

4 comments:

Rick Hamrick said...

Olivia--I completely understand the benefits offered by slowing down. As you say, you can be, even as you are doing.

For me, having spent a majority of my work life essentially in a triage situation most of the time, I have found it more suitable to phrase it as, "move with calm efficiency."

It is exactly the same thing as slowing down, but my inner insane person has acceptance issues with slowing down. He does seem to be able to get along with the alternate explanation, though!

My amazing spouse, Julia, has a phrase she uses (and I do, too) which is particularly helpful when one is seeking to thread a needle which is acting like it has no hole, or plugging in a cable into a computer which is acting as if it has no compatible spot for the cable:

...with the freeflowing ease of Spirit...

She learned that one from someone else (I don't recall who) decades ago. It is a magical phrase! Just by saying it, your shoulders drop down from around your ears where they had journeyed as you stressed over the task, and suddenly, it is done.

You know my theory, O! Whatever works, I'm happy to use.

Olivia said...

Rick,

I like both yours and Julia's way of describing slowing down. So much of the way we see things is how we language them, so I really appreciate this, Rick.

And "slow down" is fairly narrow, too, because your shoulders can be hunched and you can be tense as you very. slowly. move. and. do. one. two. three.

Thank you Rick. I was thinking of you today, hoping that all is going well. Aloha nui loa,

O

Anonymous said...

Slow is beautiful. Today I slowly folded laundry and tomorrow I will slowly chop veggies and slow cook them.

Olivia said...

Indeed, Kelly. I admire your doing of what I write here. I can use a little of that for myself! xxoo, O