111: Slow Down and Savor the Moments
A few years ago during a holiday season drive through my hometown park's Christmas light display, some family members started a tradition.
It's more of a verbal tradition that's continued for as many years.
Apparently I was too hasty as I chauffeured them on our annual light tour.
Their attempts to slow my roll are now a traditional reminder each year we drive through a holiday light display...anywhere: "Slow down, Eddie!"
I never considered myself to be a speed-demon while enjoying holiday-themed illumination or otherwise...but here we are.
When I was younger I took offense at attempts to slow my pace.
As I've aged, slowing is a gift, a reprieve, a permission slip to take it down a notch or two.
Young, middle-aged, older, or senior slowing down has its advantages.
You might not have a choice to dial-it-back if health, circumstances, or a setback demands you adjust your pace of life.
But, you can also be in a slower paced season of life and still be in the red-zone relative to your internal rpms.
Lifestyle choices, media consumption, the expectations of others, and trying to be in control and micro-managing can rev your engine whatever age you are.
There's value in slowing down by choice.
Choosing to slow down introduces you to an alternative solution for pacing yourself that I call savoring
Slowing down out of necessity reduces your risks, provides needed or recommended rest, and potentially improves health, wellness, and healing.
Savoring increases your awareness, enhances your perspective, and deepens your gratitude.
Savor the moment you're in
Not all moments are worth pausing, taking-in, and savoring.
But those golden sunrises and sunsets, staring at the ocean's horizon with your toes in the sand, watching your kids or grandkids play moments - you get the picture.
Those are moments to savor!
Moments come and moments go.
Time is fleeting, have you noticed?
If you haven't, sooner or later the brakes will engage, and bam, there you are.
If you do (notice how fleeting time is), drink in those moments and savor them.
How?
- Stop consuming the unsavor-able: endless scrolling or channel surfing, sound-byte media, and fear-mongering newsfeeds.
- Look for what's lasting: relationships, books, ideas, inspiration, love, faith, and hope.
- Listen to what's uplifting: music, a child's voice, nature, and alternative opinions.
Savor the experiences you've had
Not a been-there-done-that, rather a been-there-and-better-because-of-it savor-able experience.
I savor the experiences I've had that have produced growth.
Training and running a half-marathon, summiting two 14k mountain peaks, (attempting) to surf ocean waves, writing, journaling, coaching, being coached...I could go on.
What about you?
Your savor-able experiences are those defining moments in your life when you did more than you thought possible, received more grace than you deserved, and were grateful you were where you were when you had the experience.
- Write about them.
- Review photos of them.
- Share them.
And, when possible...
- Repeat them.
Savor what you've been given
You're blessed, whether you feel blessed or not.
Everyday is a gift - every sunrise, sunset, and the breaths you breathe in between.
I'm learning to slow my breathing through intentional breath-work because my mindset is a gift.
I'm learning to slow my eating and drinking because savoring each bite and sip during a meal or otherwise is gift.
I'm learning to slow my scrolling because there's more inspiring content to savor than merely someone else's social media highlight reels, opinions, or comments contrary to my own.
You've been given much to savor.
- Take inventory of your health, wealth, and available opportunities.
- Make a mental or actual list of today's savor-able gifts in your life.
- Start and end each day with a gratitude moment, savoring what you're grateful for (come on, there's more than you might realize).
There's much to savor but first, you gotta slow your roll
Moments, experiences, and blessings await.
Press on...
Eddie