The Discipline of Not Hurrying

Ahh, I love a good stroll. When you’re walking, you’re going somewhere. But when you’re strolling, you’re already there.

This quote is from a character from one of my son’s favorite shows. The quote resonated with me immediately when I first heard it (some kids shows are on point y’all!). Life moves fast. Even in the midst of Covid, our family has grown from 0 kids to 2 kids in less than three years. I find myself so easily caught up in hustle culture, a generally fast-paced American culture, and an equally fast-paced software engineering and tech world. We are constantly bombarded with messages to do more and do it faster.

Slowing down takes effort.

It’s easy to let the work calendar and the family calendar and the kids calendar, etc. determine how we live out our days. But there is great value in slowing down. I’m not speaking merely of relaxing, although that is important too. I’m speaking more so of giving ourselves - body, mind, soul - the space and time to think. To reflect. To breathe. We need this time for our own health. These moments are refreshing. They rejuvenate us. They give us perspective. And we need to intentionally carve out the time for them. This is one of my goals (or themes, if you prefer) for this year. Slowing down. Fighting against the (un)natural rushed state of things. Finding the joy in the discipline of not hurrying.