Today I got home from the gym, and normally the door is unlocked so I walk right in. This time, the door was locked so I actually had to wait for someone to come open it. I knocked on the door and waited for it to open. While I was waiting, I had no option but to pause, and so I did. I took in the fresh cold air, It was just the right amount chill with a gentle cool breeze. I looked up at the moon and admired its beauty. I took in the whole atmosphere: a calm winter night in a beautiful neighborhood. I felt a deep sense of appreciation for everything in that present moment. And with that, probably only 10 seconds later, my sister opens the door and lets me in.
Right now, I’m reading ‘The Pilgrimage’ by Paulo Coelho and I’m on page 41 where he discusses ‘The Speed Exercise’. Essentially, the exercise teaches us to walk at half the speed that we normally do. This is meant to help slow us down and teach us to appreciate the often overlooked beauties in every moment. I’ll insert a picture below.
What I realized upon reading this, is that I rush through a lot of the seemingly mundane parts of my day. Which, if I really took my time with, perhaps I’d find something beautiful to appreciate in those moments too. The lesson I learnt today is to be slow and try to savour every moment. Moving forward, I’m going to try living more slowly with full presence in every moment – even when it comes to the seemingly boring tasks.
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