discovery #2

that as americans, we are unnaturally focused on time...and particularly on speed.

we do everything fast. and most of us don't even realize it. we expect timeliness. we base decisions on timelines. and as a service economy, we learned to expect everything fast. food.cars.mail.internet connections. the list goes on...

until we are removed from this fast-paced environment can we truly see the effect it takes on our lives. our ability to relax. our ability to enjoy life. our ability to WAIT. in a culture accustomed to:

the power lunch, power naps, the quickie, drive-thru's, one-hour photo...

how can we understand the 3-hour lunch...and businesses that close all afternoon to accommodate this phenomenon? i was shocked to find that i, the girl who doesn't own a watch, was asking my husband "what time is it"...when there was no good reason to know.

being in europe reminded me of all the reasons i love the leisurely pace of life outside the states. and forced me to realize how accustomed i have become to life on fast-forward. anyone who saw adam sandler's "click" knows what i'm talking about...at times i can't remember all of the amazing fun i've been having.

this week i discovered that i need to SLOW DOWN. although i've gotten much better at this--mindfulness is actually now a word in my vocabulary--i find that i still get overwhelmed. i love my active lifestyle, don't get me wrong. and travelling most weekends of the month is what i love to do. but there has to be a perfect balance for me...which includes staying home to write and paint and cook (and clean) and just breathe.

i pray that over the next year i can discover the secret to this balance.