"There is more to life than increasing it's speed." - Gandhi
I am reading a fascinating book by Carl Honore titled In Praise of Slowness. (Carl, thanks for your work!) If you have ever felt like life is moving too fast…that there is never enough time…that your life is ruled by the clock…you need to pick up this book immediately! It is a fascinating journey through the Slow movement in it’s many facets and a great challenge to begin reintroducing ourselves to a word called balance, which we all desperately need.
Here are some (not all) of Carl’s key slowness topics from the book and my biggest takeaways from each:
- Food - The destiny of nations depends on the manner in which they feed themselves. Our health is getting progressively worse and it is primarily because we eat fast and not slow. Food can be consumed when we eat fast…it can be appreciated when we eat slow.
- Mind/Body - Reaction rather than reflection is the order of the day. Fast thinking is what we do under pressure…slow thinking is what we do when the pressure is off. Most of our creativity comes from slow thinking. Don’t just do something; sit there!
- Work - Men who work 60 hour weeks are 2x’s as likely to have a heart attack as those who work 40. Men who sleep less than 5 hours a week at least 2x a week are 3x’s as likely for a heart attack. Working less often means working better. Things that need slowness: strategic planning, creative thought, building relationships.
- Children - Children are not born obsessed with speed and productivity, we make them that way! Children learn better and develop more well rounded personalities when they are relaxed, less regimented and less hurried. “The most effective kind of education is that a child should play amongst lovely things.” - Plato
Wed, Apr 29, 2009
Self Leadership