Calm Is a Superpower: Slow Down to Go Further
Fast. Faster. Even faster. For a long time, I lived like that, and I think you know that rhythm.
Before, I chased time. Now, I try to walk alongside it.
Here's why, for me, calm is a superpower.
Why Are We in Such a Hurry? What Are We Running After So Fast?
When did we decide to turn our lives into a race against the clock? What do we gain from it, besides more physical and emotional exhaustion?
Whatever we do, there will always be 24 hours in a day. Going faster doesn't make it longer.
What if life were a gentle marathon, where the goal isn't to go fast, but to go the distance? A lovely stroll rather than a sprint. What if the real winner were the one who stays on the track the longest?
Personally, I'd rather go far while gathering wisdom than go fast while missing out on wonder.
I think of the drop of water. A torrential downpour can damage a house in minutes. But drop after drop, the water seeping into the walls also ends up making it sag. Our mental health works a bit the same way.
The more we rush, the more we stress.
Conversely, restoring and cultivating our inner calm protects our mental health and, as a result, our physical health.
Easing Off the Gas Sometimes Means Doing Better or Lasting Longer
We don't have to be at 100% every day. If no one has told you, I'm telling you.
When we try to go fast, we often lose quality. And above all, we lose the pleasure of what we're doing. The energy we spend chasing the timing creates an inner climate of stress, which keeps us from savoring the satisfaction of work well done.
Some people string projects together so relentlessly that they no longer know how to celebrate their victories, small or big. They may be missing out on their own happiness. I don't want to be like them.
Think of small children learning to walk. When they rush, they fall and fall again. It's when they finally take their time that they find their balance. So do we.
Listening to Your Energy Level and Respecting It
Before, I pushed myself, for this task or that person. Now, I ask my body, and I listen to its answer.
Not feeling well is OK. It's normal. It just shouldn't last forever.
It's a message our body sends us: it's asking for more attention. So let's slow down, take a break, ask for help when we feel ourselves weakening. What matters is getting to the end of each day in one piece, not in a thousand, and still being on the track the next day.
Some days, the only mission is to make it to the evening. And that's already a lot.
The Journaling Exercise: Slow Down and Savor, Because Calm Is a Superpower
This week, I'm giving you three simple steps.
Every morning and every evening, rate your energy level out of 10, without trying to explain it.
Choose one activity from your day and do it slowly, one thing at a time, without looking at the clock.
Open your notebook and answer this question:
What can I slow down today, and what small victory did I take the time to savor?
Calm is a superpower, and it's also the best place to hear your inner voice, the one we're exploring this month.
The EstellyHappy Success Journal helps you savor your victories, even tiny ones, instead of running toward the next. And the EstellyHappy Happiness Journal holds the little joys of a day lived at your own pace.
Thank you for reading me this far. Have a lovely end of day, in calm.
To never miss an article, subscribe to the Happy Newsletter. And to cultivate your calm every day, the Success Journal and the Happiness Journal are waiting for you in the shop.
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