It's not slowing down, it's quitting overdrive

During the holidays I saw some posts about not ending the New Year strong, but ending it…soft. Slowing down and being present and enjoying the time. I aligned with this concept.

But the idea of “slowing down” has been chewing on me since then. It gives the impression that the world is going at one pace and we are going to slow down and be…slow. Less than. I reject the concept. I think what is really happening is the culture has gone into overdrive and is just driving with it’s hair on fire and not getting much accomplished, and running on anxiety that is causing all kinds of problems.

Thus I see slowing down differently. I look at it as slowing down to a reasonable, sustainable pace. I was a pro cyclist. If you carry too much speed into the curve, you’re just going to wreck. Slowing down was necessary in order to survive.

Our culture is ever increasing in anxiety and burnout and depression and I see much of it as a result of this unsustainable and unhealthy pace that has gotten to be normal. We no longer have margin in our lives. We don’t do leisure. If we do have any so-called free time, we just fill it with entertainment that is seldom inspiring and restorative.

In his book, Undoctored, author William Davis recalls talking with a patient about their diet, asking them to choose some healthier dietary options. The patient replies with, “Oh, you want me to adopt one of those extreme health diets.” To which Davis replies, “No. I want you to realize the current, cultural diet is extreme [in it’s unhealth] and I’m asking you to come back to a historically more healthy and reasonable diet.”

The cultural pace of filling every second and being chronically overwhelmed and exhausted is a relatively new phenomenon. And I see no part of it that is helping anyone. I see it only causing pain.

I think I’ll continue to choose to be…abnormal. Folks can go ahead and speed ahead until they end up a fiery wreck in the corner. I’ve done that. It didn’t work out for me.

I’m slowing down in order to achieve and continue a fulfilling life.