Life in the Fast Lane

I've had a classic Eagles song rummaging through my brain this week because my theme is "Life in the Fast Lane", which surely means you lose your mind, or so the song goes. I'm trying to do exactly the opposite of that - losing my mind, that is, as we speed toward the deadline of our moving date. We have to be out of our house next week...the moving van is coming and the day after, we say good-bye to our residence of 18 years. Then, it's a big hello to our 'new', smaller place the following week and, needless to say, it feels as though we are living life from a jammed packed, fast-paced perspective.

Not only are we packing and moving, but we're celebrating our grandson's Bar Mitzvah this weekend, I'm running a special workshop next weekend, the yoga teacher training continues, the mentorship program is all happening and well...blah, blah, blah. Life is rather packed both figuratively and literally. 

Over the past few years, I've been drawn toward minimalism and slow living, and a large part of the downsizing draw has been influenced by that awakening awareness. There's a saying in the "slow" community, that sometimes you need "to go fast, in order to go slow". Initially, I didn't really get that as it seemed like a contrary idea. But now it's beginning to make sense. The fast lane we are traveling in at the moment is temporary. It's not a way of being that I or my husband wish to engage in, yet, we both want more ease and simplicity in life. Having smaller digs, less stuff, less financial responsibility equals slow living. And in order for us to step in that direction, we needed to undergo a major life-transformation. We are letting go of over half the stuff we own. It's a major culling of what gets cut and what gets re-purposed and re-directed. Sentimentality has lessened as the practicality and draw of great ease nears. It's getting easier to let go of what we really don't need or what no longer serves us.

The thought of the week and the practices we've been undertaking in classes this week are to notice if we're hanging out in the fast-lane of life and, if yes, why? Is there a particular drive for you to be there in order to create greater calm in your life? Or are you moving at a speed that's one of habit, more than one of consciousness? 

My default speed has always been fast...I'm not slow by nature. I like to make things happen and get stuff done. So, as I sought greater ease and inner peacefulness in my life, I started looking at slow-living, which simply means to live from a place of mindful intention and consciousness. I really want to create a life that's aligned with my inner voice. So living slow is definitely a challenging practice for me, but one that I'm embracing with grace and curiosity. And I have to say, it feels awesome to be releasing dusty papers, tucked away goods, and selling furniture. We are excited to launch into a different place that will have new discoveries and feelings. It's time to let go and put on my blinker to indicate I'm slowing down.

Are you ready to change lanes, too?