Life should be slow
Modern living in a rush is not normal. We need to slow down again.
In Praise of Stillness: Finding Calm Amidst the Chaos
In the midst of our modern lives, we often find ourselves racing against the clock, minds cluttered with endless tasks and bodies drained from a relentless pace. It's important to step back and ask ourselves: when did this become our norm? For, indeed, this constant hustle is not normal, not when you trace back the tapestry of human history.
The essence of humanity wasn't built around fluorescent lights, ringing phones, and the incessant ping of notifications. Our ancestors (perhaps unknowingly) reveled in the simplicity of a life attuned to nature's rhythm: the slow rise of the sun, the whisper of leaves, and the gentle flow of rivers. They knew something we often forget: the art of being still.
The Mirage of Modern "Normal"
Somewhere along the way, we've conflated busyness with success and hurrying with productivity. The measure of a day's worth has become about how much we've done rather than how well we've lived. We often wear our exhaustion as a badge of honor, mistaking motion for progress. But this frantic life is a mirage, and behind it is an aching void, a yearning for tranquility and simple purpose.
Would a bowl of rice and beans enjoyed slowly in a woodland, with a full day of freedom, serve us better than inhaling sushi in the concrete city between meetings? Perhaps so…
Reconnecting with Nature: The New Off-Grid Movement
There's a growing movement of souls seeking solace in simplicity—those who choose off-grid living not as an escape, but as a return. Return to a life where time isn't money, but moments. Moments that matter.
Imagine a space where the only clock you answer to is the rising and setting of the sun. Your daily chores revolve around nature's bounty: tending to gardens, drawing water from the rainwater barrels, and watching the dance of flames in a hearth. The cacophony of the modern world fades, replaced by the harmonious chorus of crickets, the rustle of wind through the trees, and the gentle lullaby of a distant owl.
You won’t live the same life you had in the city or suburbs, It will be much more simplistic. However, that’s the whole point.
October’s Song: An Ode to Slowness
There's no better time than October to appreciate the profound beauty of nature's cadence. As the leaves shed their verdant hues for fiery reds, oranges, and yellows, nature, in its infinite wisdom, teaches us the elegance of letting go. The trees, with their branches swaying like the hands of a seasoned conductor, lead a symphony of change. Creeks, with their silvery threads, crisscross landscapes like veins, pulsating with the lifeblood of the Earth.
Paths meander through woods, each turn holding a secret, each clearing a new story. The October sky, painted with clouds and stretched across the horizon like an artist's canvas, reminds us of the vastness of the universe and our tiny, precious place within it.
Nature isn’t always growing, rushing, and pacing. After the explosion of Spring, and the height of summer, nature slows down to rest into Autumn. We too should rest into Autumn.
We can and should reject the constant push of humanity keeping the proverbial machines turning all day and night, during all seasons. Let’s simplify our needs, and let the machines gather some dust. Don’t bring the noise into the forest with you. Leave the cars, leave the phones, leave the TV, leave the noise behind…
Breathe, Be Still, Reflect
As you stand amidst this October panorama, take a moment to breathe. Really breathe. Feel the cool air fill your lungs, hold it, then release. With every exhale, let go of the pressures, the deadlines, the self-imposed burdens. Embrace stillness. Understand that, in this moment, there's nowhere you need to be but here. There's no task more pressing than to simply be.
As you immerse yourself in this tranquility, ask: Isn't this what life is about? Isn't this the true essence of living? For it's in these quiet moments that we find our most profound insights, our deepest joys, and our most genuine connections.
Opt-Out, Simplify, Breathe
In our relentless pursuit of more—more money, more success, more things—we've forgotten the beauty of less. It's time we opt-out of the race, even if just for a moment. Simplify. Return to basics. Cherish the beauty of a slow morning, the joy of a walk in nature, the pleasure of a book read under a canopy of trees.
Let October's serenade be a reminder: life is not about how fast we run, but how deeply we feel each moment. So, slow down, breathe, and let the world's beauty wash over you. For in stillness and slowness we find a life worth living.
God bless today. May you enjoy the little moments.
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Beautifully written. I really love the air this time of year. It’s a short-lived season where I live but it can be longer by really taking it in through the senses.