Because that’s kind of the world that we live in now, a world stuck in fast-forward. A world obsessed with speed, with doing everything faster, with cramming more and more into less and less time. Every moment of the day feels like a race against the clock. To borrow a phrase from Carrie Fisher, which is in my bio there; I’ll just toss it out again — “These days even instant gratification takes too long.” […]
I think that in the headlong dash of daily life, we often lose sight of the damage that this roadrunner form of living does to us. We’re so marinated in the culture of speed that we almost fail to notice the toll it takes on every aspect of our lives — on our health, our diet, our work, our relationships, the environment and our community. And sometimes it takes a wake-up call, doesn’t it, to alert us to the fact that we’re hurrying through our lives, instead of actually living them; that we’re living the fast life, instead of the good life. And I think for many people, that wake-up call takes the form of an illness. You know, a burnout, or eventually the body says, “I can’t take it anymore,” and throws in the towel. […]
And I had two questions in my head.
The first was, how did we get so fast?
And the second is, is it possible, or even desirable, to slow down?
~ Carl Honore, In Praise of Slowness
Art: Erin Cone with “Traverse” from the exhibition “Ineffable” (via Mennyfox55)
Live & Learn 
I think it is not only desirable, but wise, to slow down.
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if you could answer this question on a blog you would be a millionaire….
greed – I want it yesterday – I am not satisfied with yesterday’s technology – mad really – go for a walk on the beach if you can – remove your socks and feel the cool sand between your toes – listen to the surf and look – and no I haven’t been drinking 🙂
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I so get it. I do Scott. I’m right there with you, including yesterday’s technology.
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As cliche as it sounds, I think we have to balance them both. You don’t always have a chance to slow down at work…that is the business world. But once you leave that grind behind, you have to slow down..at least on your way to enjoy things you love. Like kids and grandkids and barbeques on weekends.
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I agree Claudia. You can’t survive in today’s working world without both, urgency and calm.
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Don’t wait for the wake up call. It may REALLY be too late to live life.
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THAT is it Peg. Thanks.
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two very good questions David! ❤
Diana xo
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Aren’t they, though?!
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Yes, good questions!
I often think of this! Why?
Because I had my wake up call.
So blessed it was early enough to still live my life, slow mode.
But I can’t be a hypocrite.
My world still depends on speed in indirect ways.
But, it’s always possible to slow down.
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I’m afraid I haven’t yet had a real wake up call, a number of minor tremors. I hope I can manage it.
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I pray you never have one David.
I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.
Mine was not health related.
But, my wake up call brought countless blessings with it for which I can’t be grateful enough.
Must admit, took years to see my blessings 😉
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So glad it ended well….
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caught between the rock and the hard place with those two……. we all know, we should slow down. How to do so and keep a job and the family going is the pointy bit though, isn’t it?
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That’s the paradox. Right there Debi.
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indeed
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yes, go slow.
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It’s always possible to slow down. It’s just a matter of when. Does our body make us or do we make the decision? I know the one I am choosing. 🙂
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I’m doing the choosing too. And that’s what scares me! 🙂
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Ha choose better! 😁
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Great questions to be sure. As Ferris Bueller said……life moves pretty fast. if you don’t stop once in a while to look around……you might miss it. Truer words were never spoken! We’re so caught up in the “I Want It NOW” generation that we have completely forgotten how to ENJOY each moment life offers us, as we’re so eager to cram as much as we can into every single day.
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Love your thoughts from Ferris Bueller to cramming it all in. I so get it. Thanks for sharing.
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Reading this in conjunction with yesterday’s post (Baccalaureate Service) it occurs to me that life goes by fast anyway–why do we try to hurry it along?
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Hurry it and push the pace too. Faster, faster, more, more. That’s the question Carolann.
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Maybe if we choose to spend time with a person we care about, we will not spend so much time alone on the computer!
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Truth!
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