I do tend to like this idea of slow living.
For I often find I am in a rush. I have this anxious feeling of rushing through all my daily tasks, to bring them to completion asap.
This anxious, rushing, feeling, I can trace back to my childhood. You see from the age of seven, I have had to deal with migraine headaches. Very debilitating and painful.
From somewhere around my teenage years, I felt I had to rush to get everything completed in case I got sick with a migraine and had to spend hours in bed with a massive headache. This became a very deeply entrenched habit. More especially in the years I was raising children, you see everything had to be perfect and in order in case anything went wrong.
But as I got older, I have had to retrain my brain and remind myself, why the panic? Tomorrow is another day with a new beginning and a little mess is not going to hurt. If I need to rest then I must rest!
SLOW DOWN, and focus on the fact that this is only temporary, soon the events that I am drowning in at the present moment will not last.
A wonderful side note, as I grew older those terrible migraines lost alot of their severity. I no longer vomit for hours and the headache is quite mild. You see, life can change!
Just how do you slow down?
*Gather less stuff. We take nothing into this world and we take nothing out when we leave. I have found it liberating moving into a smaller home and making myself throw out things I am fairly sure I will not use again
*Read the bible and pray. Dwelling on the good things the bible has to say is very relaxing and calming. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
*Begin the day with peaceful, positive thoughts. Your self talk will set you in the right direction if it is life giving and positive.
*Retrain your mind to stop and enjoy. This process took me awhile to achieve, but some grim determination and a healthy stance against fear has helped.
*Be grateful and make an effort to thank God for all the good things in life.
*Find an interest or hobby that you love and enjoy. When I am out photographing, I find my mind and body are totally unaware of worries and lifes distractions. I am fully involved and absolutely loving what I am doing. The peace and fulfilment after the day is over keeps my mind thoughful and certainly has the effect of slowing me down.
Below are some images that have brought peace to my heart and soul.
A yacht moored for the night swaying in the breezy evening air.
The pink galahs singing in the trees.
Sipping coffee in a garden.
Children singing in the background,
The laughs of children climbing the sand dunes.
A moonlit night.
A person bathing in the salty seawater.
Children swimming till dusk.
A blue and white wave crashing on the shoreline……
A pink bedroom to relax in.
A pink sunset
A trip on a boat out to sea.
A sea lion relaxing in the cool waters.
Those are truly the things that will make us slow down a little and become enchanted with the daily simplicity’s of life.
