This year, my word is “cherish,” and my motto is, “go with the SLOW!” I’ve made it my biggest ambition to be rather ambitionless. It’s not easy living easy, but here are a few steps we can all take.
- Learn to say, “Let me think about it.” People often give well-meaning advice to say “no” more often. That may indeed be what you need, but it’s also possible you need to say “yes,” or that you just need people to stop asking (I’m looking at you, moms!). In any case, the simple phrase, “Let me think about it,” buys you the time to sort through your answer. Take the opportunity, see how it fits with your priorities and values, and measure your response. You don’t have to say, “No.” You just may, though!
- Put down the camera. I do love looking at photos of my life. But, these days, that constantly present phone camera causes us to miss more moments than it saves. Try to go through a day without taking a single photo. Just be with the moment, don’t curate it, don’t preserve it, don’t even hold onto it within your brain. Just experience it, and let it go.
- Pick up the pen. As much as I want us to stop documenting so much with our phones, I want us to start documenting more with our writing. When we sit and journal about experiences, it allows us to feel them more deeply. What we all need is to feel our feelings, to let in the good as well as the bad, and to open ourselves up to more meaningful experiences as a result.
These three things combine to form a life where we do less, hold onto less, and feel more. Try it out for a month, and let me know how you feel!
