Are you also one of those people who has turned racing, hurrying, and rushing yourself through your schedule of activities into an Olympic sport? Yup, we’re the same. However, one of the most important lessons we’ve learned since creating Flow is that it really wouldn’t be a bad idea if we slowed down a bit more from time to time. Because boy, do we push ourselves, often without knowing why.
Quick, go to the shop before it closes, although we can probably survive a night without milk in the house (Irene). Run to catch that bus, even though there’s another one in fifteen minutes (Astrid). And of course, the urge is always to cram our day to the max so we miss out on as little as possible. Sounds familiar? And while all this hurrying, planning and rushing is going on, there’s something in the back of our minds telling us that surely there’s another way.
Because life is so much better when we take it slow. Only then do we really see, feel and hear what’s going on. Only then do we notice the song that is playing on the radio, are we able to decipher the expression on a friend’s face, and can be aware of what’s going on in our heads.
So we have a new resolution: Stop living life in its highest gear. We need some rest, some space, and we have to start doing things differently. That’s why both of us have been trying to spend more time outdoors, because it’s a great source of peace. And we’ve made a start on that towering stack of unread books next to the couch, because time slows down so nicely when you’re reading (Irene). We’re trying to set more time aside to just think things over, make drawings and send handwritten cards (Astrid). And it hasn’t taken us long to realize that, yes, life does indeed feel different when you simply decide that ‘today is going to be a slow day’. It certainly seems to work for us.
We think everyone deserves some slow time in their lives. Walking through town, alone with your thoughts. Taking your time at the bakery, in a traffic jam, or just going about your everyday life. Hopefully the stories about our to-do list addiction, and slowing down in general in Issue 28 will help you find more ways to slow down.
- Read more in Issue 28.
Photography Danique van Kesteren
