Slow Living - Photo Essay with Snails

I was inspired to revisit the topic of living more slowly after reading a post on artist Julie Brown's blog Wabibrook Studio.  Thanks Julie for the reminder.

I read recently that snails have inhabited our planet for some 60 million years.  That is a lot of slow moving family history. 

Slow Living is a family tradition

One of my goals is to live more slowly, to take time to appreciate and enjoy what matters most in life; important relationships, spiritual growth, fitness, nature and creativity.  I thought that giving up work outside of the home would naturally translate into this easy-going, deeply meaningful, slow paced life.  Unfortunately, my family does not have a 60 million year old legacy of moving and living slowly.  Rather, I was raised to be productive, punctual and personable.  Do these seemingly admirable qualities prevent me from living the slow life?  No, but sometimes I struggle with these deeply imbedded life principles. 

Productivity is highly valued in our culture, we’re all about doing.  See (On Being vs Doing)   New acquaintances often ask, “What do you do?” Friends ask “What did you do on the weekend?”  I used to keep a lengthy to-do list so as to always have a pending task at my fingertips.   Now, I find I must consciously avoid creating written or mental lists of chores.  I have to remind myself that it is okay to have daily time that is not scheduled a time when I do not have to be productive.  I try to regularly give myself permission to do what I want, whether it is just sitting, napping or going for a slow stroll.  This is not as easy as it sounds; I have to quiet my inner critic who likes to label me as “lazy” for non-productive time.

It's okay to stop and admire my surroundings

Sometimes I just like to sit and think

Concerning punctuality, I would never be a proponent of purposely arriving late - that just seems rude; however, there are situations that arise that cause all of us to be tardy at one time or another.  The concern is the degree of anxiety or stress that I feel when I know that I will be late, the belief that a lack of punctuality is a flaw in my character, that a better person would have anticipated the flat tire, the accident on the bridge or the bus not showing up.

I don't need to rush.

Being personable has certainly had more positive results than negative, but it is a question of degrees.  I thrive when I have a healthy dose of alone time and I seem to need a lot more than most people.  It can be difficult for others to understand or accept.  Yet I have learned the hard way that forfeiting regular times of solitude in order to meet others’ expectations leaves me drained, unhappy and eventually angry at myself for being so “nice” that I have spread myself too thin at the expense of my own well-being.

I just need a little solitude

"I don't understand your need for so much time alone!"

So where does this leave me in my quest to s-l-o-w down?  I guess I still have a ways to go in achieving a slow living lifestyle, but I am getting there….albeit slowly!

Slow Living -I'm getting there...

A special thank you to all these snails who live in  my neighbour's garden.

And thank you too for slowing down and visiting My Turquoise Kettle Life.

Have a most wonderful day,

Sandra