Slow Down!

When my kids were little, we had this book of microscopic photography, which was full of pictures of ordinary things like bleach or the eye of a fly. These highly magnified pictures showed the astounding beauty, on the minuscule level, of commonplace things. We would snuggle in bed at night and when I turned the page, I would cover the name of the next picture and we would try to guess what it was. We never guessed right and were over and over again blown away by the beauty that lies at the heart of absolutely everything.

We live in a magical and highly intelligent world. For heaven’s sake, life took stardust and created the DNA molecule! And yet most of us whiz by all this beauty, lost in a society that believes doing will bring you the deep peace and happiness you long for. So, we run around like ants on an anthill, trying to juggle many things at the same time, not ever slowing down enough to really let life in.

In fact, we are afraid of slowing down, afraid nothing will happen or something bad will happen. But it is my experience that when we slow down, we can open to a whole other world that is always here, right outside of our struggling mind. It is a world that is magical, trustable, supportive, intelligent, nourishing, comforting, and permeated by Love.

In other words, slowing down will allow us to be nourished by life! We need to slow down for our mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual health. Because we so often live close to empty, we miss life!! We then have little to give to ourselves, to our loved ones, and to the world. To fill up our tank by stepping off the treadmill of doing and cultivating being is one of the most powerful gifts we can give to ourselves. But if you don’t really understand the gifts that come from slowing down, it can feel like just another thing to add to the to-do list. Even the thought of it can exhaust you.

Rather than cultivating being as something to do, you can frame it as a gift you give to yourself that you can weave throughout your day.  Author Suneel Gupta recommends for a rich and rewarding life, to live the 55-5 rule. For every 55 minutes of work, you give yourself five minutes of deep rest. If you are interested in doing this, ask yourself what recharges you. It could be five minutes of deep breathing, dancing to your favorite music, getting out of the building and seeing the sky, or washing your hands in a way that reminds you of the miracle of life and the preciousness of absolutely every moment. This is a great way to interrupt the habit of staying busy so you can rediscover that what you long for is already right here!

You can also download the Insight Timer on your phone. They have a variety of gongs you can set to chime as many times in a day as it calls to you. And then when it chimes, you pause. You may simply listen to the sounds around you as if you have never been on planet Earth before or bring your attention to one part of your body and really ‘get it’ with a sense of appreciation for all it does for you, or you may deeply feel one breath from the inside. The more you gift yourself in this way, the more you make contact with the fresh newness of every moment. And whether you know it or not, with all your longings for better health, a new relationship, or more money, this is what you truly long for!

You can give yourself the gift of noticing your breath for 5 minutes a day or invest in yourself with time away in the woods or the beach at least twice a year.  If possible, attend a meditation retreat, from a weekend all the way to a month – once a year.  All of these supercharge your mind, body, and soul.

My last invitation is to set aside a ‘do nothing’ day.  This doesn’t mean you just sit around like a blob.  It means you let plans and lists dissolve and instead listen carefully for what is calling to you.  Maybe you want to meditate.  So you meditate until it feels like it is done.  Then you listen for what is next, maybe a walk, a shower, a nap, a talk with a friend.  And when you find yourself mindlessly doing something, pause, allow some deep breaths, and ask yourself, “What is calling to me now?”

Your mind may say that you don’t have time to gift yourself with these pauses that refresh. However, research has shown when you recharge in this way, your performance, whether it’s as a parent, a teacher, a construction worker, a middle manager, a partner, a student, increases dramatically.

Because our minds are addicted to ‘doing’ and because your mind may be resisting the invitation here, I give you complete permission to cultivate pockets of being in your life so that at the end of your life you don’t have to live in the regret that you missed your life!

We’re moving into the Holidays and I’m excited to announce that our Holiday book sale has begun! All softcover books will be autographed and sold BUY ONE GET ONE with the purchase of one of the following: What’s in the Way IS the Way, Being Healed by Our Compulsions, or Belonging to Life. I hear from you all often how my work speaks to you. If you know someone who would benefit from one of my books, this is the perfect time to get them that gift. Shipping not included, and while supplies last. Offer ends December 20th. Use coupon code: HOLIDAYBOGO at check out. Click here to see Mary’s Catalog: https://maryomalley.com/shop/#936

Stay tuned for the announcement of the official date of release for the Belonging to Life Audiobook narrated by me! I hope you all will enjoy it.