Sometimes it takes a wake-up call, doesn't it, to alert us to the fact that we're hurrying through our lives instead of actually living them; that we're living the fast life instead of the good life. And I think, for many people, that wake-up call takes the form of an illness.
Interpretation
A reminder to slow down and truly live rather than rush through life.
This quote emphasizes the importance of being present in our lives rather than merely going through the motions. It suggests that a significant disruption, like an illness, can serve as a crucial reminder to reassess our lifestyle and prioritize what truly matters, moving away from a mere existence towards a more fulfilling life experience.
In practice
During a wellness seminar to encourage mindfulness and presence.
You don't have to work for Google, or any of the other firms encouraging staff to pursue personal projects on company time, to use slowness to unlock your creativity. Anyone can do it. Start by clearing space in your schedule for rest, daydreaming and serendipity. Take breaks away from your desk, especially when you get stuck on a problem.
You may have heard of the Slow Movement, which challenges the canard that faster is always better. You don't have to ditch your career, toss the iPhone, or join a commune to take part. Living 'Slow' just means doing everything at the right speed - quickly, slowly, or at whatever pace delivers the best results.
Your best ideas, those eureka moments that turn the world upside down, seldom come when you're juggling emails, rushing to meet the 5 P.M. deadline or straining to make your voice heard in a high-stress meeting. They come when you're walking the dog, soaking in the bath or swinging in a hammock.
We know that no algorithm can solve global poverty; no pill can cure a chronic illness; no box of chocolates can mend a broken relationship; no educational DVD can transform a child into a baby Einstein; no drone strike can end a terrorist conflict. Sadly, there is no such thing as 'One Tip to a Flat Stomach.'
By slowing down at the right moments, people find that they do everything better: They eat better; they make love better; they exercise better; they work better; they live better.
Each of us is leading a difficult life, and when we meet people we are seeing only a tiny part of the thinnest veneer of their complex, troubled existences. To practise anything other than kindness towards them, to treat them in any way save generously, is to quietly deny their humanity.
Don't sit and wait. Get out there, feel life. Touch the sun, and immerse in the sea.
One makes mistakes; that is life. But it is never a mistake to have loved.
Life lived for tomorrow will always be just a day away from being realized.
I couldn't wait until I grew up. I used to look at my mom's stockings and put them on with her high heels and mess with my hair.
don't let us get sick, don't let us get old, don't let us get stupid, alright? just make us be brave, and make us play nice, and let us be together tonight.
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