The beauty of slow
Breath in, breath out, breath in, breath out... (do this exercise for 30 seconds before you continue reading)
Slow is the opposite of fast.
Slow a luxury to have, in a busy city like Singapore.
When you live in a city which emphasizes efficiency and productivity, things need to be fast, I mean really really FAST. This collective movement of fast is influencing everyone who is living on this tiny island because collective thoughts are always contagious. Although you wish to avoid joining the race, you somehow are subconsciously drawn into one.
Is it possible for someone like me, who lives in a city, to find a sweet balance between the fast and the slow? And how will that be possible?
I separate this fast concept into two aspects:
1. Things which I have no control of
2. Things within my control
What do I mean?
When I see someone talking or walking with the speed of a rushing bullet train - these are things that I have no control and shouldn't control.
How should I react to that person and how I should manage my thoughts - these are things that are within my control.
You see, the key is to have the ability to slow down to a pace where you can foresee how you will react and be able to put a stop to your involuntary reaction from happening. And that's the beauty of slowing down. To take back what used to belong to you - the NOW, and owning it at this very moment.
You can't fix what you do not know. Only through the process of slow, will you discover the root of the problem. Why am I so easily irritated? Why am I easily affected by the opinions of others? Is it because what you really want is just to be appreciated or respected by others? Or there is something else hidden behind this veil of frustration?
Slow down and listen. Listen to the deepest voice within you, your answers are there waiting for you. And when you find your roots, you will then be on your way of becoming the best version of yourself.
Things you can do to slow yourself down:
Space
The universe is a combination of space and energy. Energy levels can be influenced even by a tiny movement in a space. So, creating an ideal place for work, play and rest, is vital to practise self-love.
•Marie Kondo Methods will teach you how to let go what doesn't serve you anymore, and with the practice of letting go, you create your ideal space by surrounding yourself with what you really love (sparks joy!)
•Music is made out of vibration and each tune has the power to change the frequency of the room. And my recommendation is this Forest sounds with birds chirping at the background. It literally brings the woodlands into your home :)
Thoughts
Your mind will determine how you perceive the world. To practice the beauty of slowing down, try meditation, reading a physical book and feeling the touch of every page, or writing what's inside your mind. These activities will help bring clarity and slow down busy thought processes that used to overwhelm your mind.
•3 mins stay focused meditation by Deepak Chopra
• Gratitude exercise: List down 10 things that you are grateful for, every day. It can be as simple as thanking your heart for never stopping to beat and keeping you alive and getting you through your day. When you start to seek shreds of evidence to be grateful for, you will begin to pay attention to many of the minor details that will bring so much joy to your life.
• I recently read SLOW finding peace and purpose in a hectic world by Jo Peters, which was easy to read and the 147 pages contained many ways to aid you to slow down your hectic pace.
Experience
• Reconnect with nature
From my personal experience, the forest is my favourite place to reset myself to be truly me again (the me who is in the NOW). When I am surrounded by big trees, all my problems appear to be so insignificant and they don't matter anymore. There's a special connection between me and the forest, as I love to hug big trees and say hi to as many of them as possible. It's like a ritual of saying I am back, back to (my human) nature.
• Making things with your hands (without expectation)
I am a big fan of making anything from scratch with my bare hands. The act really helps me to stay focused on one thing without concern of the end result. Yes, it's the common result-driven processes that will kill the essence of creativity. It's the freedom of doing what you like, at your own pace, without worrying that your end result will be judged by others. After all, it's the creating experience that counts most.
• Movie
Watching a movie that will warm your heart
Little Forest is about a city girl returning to her hometown in Tohoku region and learning how to self-sustain by growing her own food from scratch throughout the four seasons: spring, summer, fall and winter.
Image via arama japan
Image via blog-001
And lastly:
Reset your breathing
If you are feeling anxious, inhale fully and hold your breath for 20 seconds (if you can't hold for 20 seconds, you may adjust to your preferred duration) and let it prolong in your body and repeat the process for few times, which will bring you back to your natural breathing tempo. Let's give your mind, body and soul a good recharge after the end of each day.
If you like what I do, remember to subscribe (orange button at your top right) and be the first to receive my future posts. Sharing is caring, do click share (click "share"at orange button below) this post if you have enjoyed reading it. Thank you for slowing down to read until this far, and I will see you again, next week.
Be slow to be kind to yourself,
Waee
Slow is the opposite of fast.
Slow a luxury to have, in a busy city like Singapore.
When you live in a city which emphasizes efficiency and productivity, things need to be fast, I mean really really FAST. This collective movement of fast is influencing everyone who is living on this tiny island because collective thoughts are always contagious. Although you wish to avoid joining the race, you somehow are subconsciously drawn into one.
Is it possible for someone like me, who lives in a city, to find a sweet balance between the fast and the slow? And how will that be possible?
I separate this fast concept into two aspects:
1. Things which I have no control of
2. Things within my control
What do I mean?
When I see someone talking or walking with the speed of a rushing bullet train - these are things that I have no control and shouldn't control.
How should I react to that person and how I should manage my thoughts - these are things that are within my control.
You see, the key is to have the ability to slow down to a pace where you can foresee how you will react and be able to put a stop to your involuntary reaction from happening. And that's the beauty of slowing down. To take back what used to belong to you - the NOW, and owning it at this very moment.
You can't fix what you do not know. Only through the process of slow, will you discover the root of the problem. Why am I so easily irritated? Why am I easily affected by the opinions of others? Is it because what you really want is just to be appreciated or respected by others? Or there is something else hidden behind this veil of frustration?
Slow down and listen. Listen to the deepest voice within you, your answers are there waiting for you. And when you find your roots, you will then be on your way of becoming the best version of yourself.
Things you can do to slow yourself down:
Space
The universe is a combination of space and energy. Energy levels can be influenced even by a tiny movement in a space. So, creating an ideal place for work, play and rest, is vital to practise self-love.
•Marie Kondo Methods will teach you how to let go what doesn't serve you anymore, and with the practice of letting go, you create your ideal space by surrounding yourself with what you really love (sparks joy!)
•Music is made out of vibration and each tune has the power to change the frequency of the room. And my recommendation is this Forest sounds with birds chirping at the background. It literally brings the woodlands into your home :)
Thoughts
Your mind will determine how you perceive the world. To practice the beauty of slowing down, try meditation, reading a physical book and feeling the touch of every page, or writing what's inside your mind. These activities will help bring clarity and slow down busy thought processes that used to overwhelm your mind.
•3 mins stay focused meditation by Deepak Chopra
• Gratitude exercise: List down 10 things that you are grateful for, every day. It can be as simple as thanking your heart for never stopping to beat and keeping you alive and getting you through your day. When you start to seek shreds of evidence to be grateful for, you will begin to pay attention to many of the minor details that will bring so much joy to your life.
• I recently read SLOW finding peace and purpose in a hectic world by Jo Peters, which was easy to read and the 147 pages contained many ways to aid you to slow down your hectic pace.
Experience
• Reconnect with nature
From my personal experience, the forest is my favourite place to reset myself to be truly me again (the me who is in the NOW). When I am surrounded by big trees, all my problems appear to be so insignificant and they don't matter anymore. There's a special connection between me and the forest, as I love to hug big trees and say hi to as many of them as possible. It's like a ritual of saying I am back, back to (my human) nature.
A breath-taking moment when face-to-face with a giant tree at Sg.Bantang Waterfall, Malaysia
Kayaking on Mirror Lake at Tasik Raban with Kamohome
Farm visit at GK farm. Learn to reconnect with nature, barefoot and enjoying the amazingly delicious vegan food from the organic farm to table by the one and only Chef Tai's
• Making things with your hands (without expectation)
I am a big fan of making anything from scratch with my bare hands. The act really helps me to stay focused on one thing without concern of the end result. Yes, it's the common result-driven processes that will kill the essence of creativity. It's the freedom of doing what you like, at your own pace, without worrying that your end result will be judged by others. After all, it's the creating experience that counts most.
Learning how to make my own bread with 0% experience and 0% knowledge
Baking my first hand-made sourdough with my homegrown yeast
• Movie
Watching a movie that will warm your heart
Little Forest is about a city girl returning to her hometown in Tohoku region and learning how to self-sustain by growing her own food from scratch throughout the four seasons: spring, summer, fall and winter.
And lastly:
Reset your breathing
If you are feeling anxious, inhale fully and hold your breath for 20 seconds (if you can't hold for 20 seconds, you may adjust to your preferred duration) and let it prolong in your body and repeat the process for few times, which will bring you back to your natural breathing tempo. Let's give your mind, body and soul a good recharge after the end of each day.
If you like what I do, remember to subscribe (orange button at your top right) and be the first to receive my future posts. Sharing is caring, do click share (click "share"at orange button below) this post if you have enjoyed reading it. Thank you for slowing down to read until this far, and I will see you again, next week.
Be slow to be kind to yourself,
Waee
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