Our lives have become increasingly fast-paced, and the effort to keep up often occupies all our time and attention. We are so busy rushing from point A to point B that we forget to enjoy the ride. We race to the store without noticing the leaves on the trees or the clouds in the sky. We go through the checkout line feeling too pressed to converse with the cashier or the other people in line. At the end of a day filled with this kind of frantic pace, we may begin to wonder what it is we do all these things for, if we don't even have the time to occasionally stop and just take it all in.
Life is composed of small, ordinary moments, like watching snow fall from the sky, having a spontaneous conversation with a stranger, or lingering over a meal for several hours. Small towns and the people who live in them can teach us all a thing or two about living life to the fullest as a daily matter. City people have a tendency to think that their lives are full because they are doing so many different things, but in a small town, there tends to be more time left open to be spontaneous or take an extended moment of rest. One thing we can do, wherever we live, is bring awareness breaks into our day and take 10 minutes to simply look out the window and observe what's happening outside.
My Thoughts:
It is said a lot by people of a certain age that they once retired they are busier than they ever were when they were working. I have also found to be true, but even though I have not technically retired I have given up employment to engage in being a writer full-time and whilst I have always written, when working I had to make the time in my day to indulge my passion. Now I have all the time in the world and still find that I do not have enough hours in the day to fulfil my need for putting words in an order that amuses me as I also tend to do other things, things I’ve never had time for before.
I love all sorts of needle crafts and so now have the luxury of being able to sit for hours watching television doing some knitting or cross stitch. When I was working, I often had to make choices as to the time available to me to pursue my hobbies, but that is no longer the case and as a result I am still as busy, but busy doing things that I love to do.
That said, I also have time to take a step back and enjoy where I live. My meditation time is often spent gazing out of the window, watching the sea and the weather, and the birds and the wildlife. So, although I am just as busy, I am definitely more content with my lifestyle.