Slow Down

[MajestyJo]

Slow down; God is still in heaven.
You are not responsible for doing it all...
yourself... right now.
Remember a happy,
peaceful time in your past.
Rest there.
Each moment has a richness that
takes a lifetime to savor.
Set your own pace.
When someone is pushing you,
it's ok to tell them they're pushing.

Take nothing for granted:
watch water flow, the corn grow,
the leaves blow, your neighbors mow.
Taste your food.
God gave it to delight as well as nourish.
Notice the sun and the moon
as they rise and set.
They are remarkable for their
steady pattern of movement,
not their speed.

Quit planning how you're going to use
what you know, learn or possess.
God's gifts just are;
be grateful
and their purpose will be clear.
When you walk with someone,
don't think about what you'll say next.
Thoughts will spring up naturally
if you let them.
Talk and play with children.
It will bring out the unhurried
little person inside you.

Create a place in your home...
at your work....
in your heart...
where you can go for quiet
and recollection.
You deserve it.
Allow yourself time to be lazy
and unproductive.

Rest isn't a luxury,
it's a necessity.
Listen to the wind blow.
it carries a message of yesterday
and tomorrow
and now...
Now counts.
Rest on your laurels.
They bring comfort whatever their size,
age or condition.
Talk slower.
Talk less.
Don't talk.
Communication isn't measured by words.

Give yourself permission to be late sometimes.
Life is for living, not scheduling.
Listen to the song of a bird...
the complete song.
Music and nature are gifts,
but only if you are willing
to receive them.
Take time to think.
Action is good and necessary,
but it's fruitful only if we muse,
ponder and mull.

Make time for play...
the things you like to do.
Whatever your age,
your inner child needs re-creation.
Watch and listen to the night sky.
It speaks.
Listen to the words you speak...
especially in prayer.

Learn to stand back and let others
take their turn as leaders.
There will always be new opportunities
for you to step out in front again.
Divide big jobs into little jobs.
If God took six days to create the universe,
can you do any better?
When you find yourself rushing and anxious,
stop!
Ask yourself why you are rushing and anxious.
The reasons may improve your self- understanding.

Take time to read...
the Bible, poetry, great books.
Thoughtful reading is enriching reading.
Direct your life with purposeful choices,
not with speed and efficiency.

The best musician is one who plays
with _expression and meaning,
not the one who finishes first.
Take a day off alone;
make a retreat.

You can learn from monks and hermits
without becoming one.
Pet a furry friend.
You will give and get the gift of now.

Work with your hands.
It frees the mind.
Take time to wonder.
without wonder, life is merely existence.
Sit in the dark.
It will treat you to see and hear,
taste and smell.
Once in awhile, turn down the lights,
the throttle, the invitations.
Less really can be more.
Let go.
Nothing is usually the hardest thing to do...
but often it is the best.
Take a walk... but don't go anywhere.
If you walk just to get somewhere,
you sacrifice the walking.

When things are in chaos and you are in a frenzy,
ask yourself:
"What is right about now?"
Chances are, you already know what is wrong.
Count your blessings,
one at a time and slowly.

First I was dying to finish high school and start college.
And then I was dying to finish college and start working.
And then I was dying to marry and have children.
And then I was dying for my children
to grow old enough for school so
I could go back to work.
And then I was dying to retire.

And now, I am dying...
and suddenly I realized
I forgot to live.

~Author unknown ~