Life is one big fat rush. We want fast food to eat quickly, fast cars to get us there sooner, fast sex to fit our busy schedule, fast money to spend freely, and fast gadgets to do double the work in half the time. And, yes...I know you want to get to the end of this chapter as fast as possible! We’re driving our lives at 90 miles per hour on a path meant for walking.

You can accomplish a lot in the fast lane, but rarely do you enjoy yourself, and what happens when you hit that inevitable hairpin turn? You frantically try to decelerate, veer to the right and stay calm while you’re about to collide with an oncoming car, all while screaming, “#@%@#! Where did this come from?” Sound familiar? But if you weren’t going so fast, you might have been able to avoid the accident; or maybe you would have noticed the warning signs a mile back. Life’s curves give us two choices: slow down or breakdown. Don’t wait for something terrible to happen to shift your life into a lower gear. If you’ve forgotten how, just spend an hour or two with a child.

A few years ago, I took my friend Gina’s four-year-old daughter, Chelsea, out for the afternoon. Of course I had a plan for the day that started with lunch out followed by games at home. I allotted about an hour for lunch. OK, I can hear you mothers giggling right about now. A four-year-old. A plan. An hour. Good luck!

From the second our visit began, I realized we’d probably be a bit off schedule. Maybe it was the ten minute seat belt buckling exercise, which Chelsea wanted to do herself. Or perhaps the fifteen minute leisurely stroll from the car to the restaurant...two blocks away. When we sat down and began a long discussion about plain cheese pizza vs. pepperoni, I started to relax into Chelsea’s pace. No doubt my favorite subject—food—had something to do with it. After lunch, we walked to an ice cream parlor half a block away. I don’t know how long that took; I had forgotten about time by then. Chelsea ordered bubble gum ice cream, and after I gobbled up my mint chip in about a minute, I watched in fascination as she alternated between eating the ice cream, chewing the gum and cleaning her mouth. Four hours later, we arrived back home. We didn’t have time to play the games I planned, but it didn’t matter. We had a delightful afternoon. Once I slowed down, I was able to enjoy Chelsea’s company, while giving my mind a much needed break.

Weeks later, when Gina, heard she had ordered that bubble gum ice cream, we both got a good laugh as she said, “Oh, no...I should have warned you about that! It takes her forever to eat.” Better that I didn’t know; I might’ve missed all the fun.

Next time you’re tempted to rush, think of the most beautiful Goddess you know walking (notice I didn’t say running) the face of the earth. I’m sure you couldn’t imagine this woman rushing anything. Close your eyes, take a deep breath and become her: calm,knowing and relaxed.

5 Ways To Slow Down:

• Drive the speed limit and listen to music or audio books in traffic.

• Replace a “to do” item that’s not about life and death (they never are) with time for yourself...alone.

• Eat slower— be seated, chew more, savor every bite, turn off the TV.

• Under schedule every day (especially your children’s), and let life happen in between commitments.

• Do something with a child (play a game, take a walk, eat a meal, watch a movie).

Excerpted from the book: The Goddess of Happiness, A Down-to-Earth Guide for Heavenly Balance and Bliss

Debbie Gisonni, aka The Goddess of Happiness™, is an author (The Goddess of Happiness: A Down-to-Earth Guide for Heavenly Balance and Bliss and Vita’s Will: Real Life Lessons about Life Death & Moving On), speaker, happiness expert and columnist for iVillage.com. Contact: http://www.goddessofhappiness.com

Copyright, All Rights Reserved, Debbie Gisonni

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