Di Bassinga Diaries: The Importance of Slowing Down

As I was journaling the other day, I was suddenly struck with awe as I pondered over a concept: the beauty and peace of reality and the moment. It's an abstract idea, no doubt; after all, is reality really all that beautiful? We live in a world that is plagued with disease, tension, and fast-approaching deadlines. It's really easy to find the negative, especially when we're surrounded by it. But I found, as I was writing, that there can be just as much beauty in the struggle as in the good--a speck of light in the darkness. Finding it may be as simple as a shifted mindset. Let me break that down a bit.

I had a thought--every time I see my friends or family is an opportunity to get to know them better--which struck me as unbelievably profound, even in it's simplicity. Another one of my favorites: we're all people. Thoughts like these help simplify my thoughts and actions, which is necessary for a lot of us in such a fast-paced world. There are so many other simple thoughts and truths, like those above, which tend to evade me, but right now I'm just sitting in the peace of those realities. Now, I'm not always in this state of bliss; honestly, these thoughts have come a good time for me--I tend to race through a million ideas a minute. I'll tend to worry about the interactions I have with friends and family, or the amount of work that I've got to do for classes, or picking a topic to write about for the Diaries; often times, it's fear or stress about what moves to make for my future (I've been told that I can be pretty existential about that).

Maybe you're feeling stressed, or anxious, or tired. Or perhaps you're overcome with joy, or maybe you're just going with the flow; wherever you find yourself tonight, tomorrow, or at any time in between and beyond, as hard as it might be in the moment, take the time to slow down and appreciate where you're at. You're alive: you've got breathe in your lungs, a functioning heart, and hopefully some people to share a laugh (or a cry) with. Take some time to count the leaves that have fallen off a tree outside, or just to listen to some of your favorite songs. Call a friend or family member and ask them about their day. Eat a snack or watch a movie. Go take a dance class or paint something. Read a few pages of a picture book or a science fiction novel (I personally prefer non-fiction, but go with whatever floats your boat). Put your phone down and go for a walk. It, generally, doesn't matter what you do, but what's important is that you take the time to slow down and look around--the time for it is there. Now, feel whatever you're feeling; I can't ask you to forget whatever it is you're going through, and I'm not saying that you should be looking to escape your situation, that'd be irresponsible. But I'd urge you to make time to slow down. We're not meant to go 100 miles an hour all the time. Even God rested on the seventh day.

Verses to Look Back On:

Genesis 2:1-3

Psalm 127:1-2

Matthew 11:28-30

Philippians 4:6-7