slow down. look around
Whenever I was 15 and studying for my learners permit, I remember reading about how speed effects vision. I learned that the faster you drive, the more narrow your tunnel vision of the road becomes, blurring your peripheral vision from its natural ability to be aware of your surroundings. The danger? Limited awareness on your journey.
When we push the gas pedal and blitz through life, we lose our awareness of what’s around us. Everything becomes a blur except for what it as the end of our tunnel vision. Our kids, our friends, our spouse, our ability to care for ourselves all become blurry. My gosh, we forget to see what is beautiful around us- the changing leaves, the morning light coming through the window in the nursery, the taste of our coffee. Before we know it, another year is over and we are hustling through the tinsel and wrapping paper forgetting to slow down & admire the lights in the trees.
Slow down, dear friends. Pull your head away from your phone and the daily agenda so that you can take a breath in the hustle of this season and look closely at the detail and vivacity of life that is going on around you. You may be reading this and feeling like you’ve been rolling downhill picking up speed and now you can’t stop your momentum. You don’t know how. Here our a few of our tips.
Ask yourself what it is that is at the end of your tunnel vision. Is it achieving an empty expectation of “perfect mother?” Perhaps it’s climbing the never-ending ladder of status at your job or proving yourself to someone who doesn’t really see you. Once you’ve identified what at the end, ask yourself what has been blurred on the sidelines.
If you have an iphone, you can put a limit to your apps & overall screen time to have extra accountability in pulling away from your phone in the morning or at the end of the day.
The moon will be full this Thursday, December 12. Step outside in the evening or later that night before bed and watch it rise, just for a moment. Take the time to appreciate something beautiful and completely out of your control and let it be a reminder that slowing down is not a loss of control, that you can still have a beautiful life if you let go a little bit.
