Slow Down Therapy

[Guest guest]

" Slow Down Therapy "

Slow down; God is still in heaven. You are not responsible for doing it all

yourself, right now.

Remember a happy, peaceful time in your past. Rest there. Each

moment has richness that takes a lifetime to savor.

Set your own pace. When someone is pushing you, it's OK to tell them they're

pushing.

Take nothing for granted: watch water flow, the corn grow, the leaves blow, your

neighbor mow.

Taste your food. God gives it to delight as well as to nourish.

Notice the sun and the moon as they rise and set. They are

remarkable for their steady pattern of movement, not their speed.

Quit planning how you're going to use what you know, learn, or

possess. God's gifts just are; be grateful and their purpose will be clear.

When you talk with someone, don't think about what you'll say next. Thoughts

will spring up naturally if you let them.

Talk and play with children. It will bring out the unhurried little person

inside you.

Create a place in your home...at your work...in your heart...where you can go

for quiet and recollection. You deserve it.

Allow yourself time to be lazy and unproductive. Rest isn't luxury; it's a

necessity.

Listen to the wind blow. It carries a message of yesterday and tomorrow and now.

NOW counts.

Rest on your laurels. They bring comfort whatever their size, age, or condition.

Talk slower. Talk less. Don't talk. Communication isn't measured by words.

Give yourself permission to be late sometimes. Life is for living, not

scheduling.

Listen to the song of a bird; the complete song. Music and nature are gifts, but

only if you are willing to receive them.

Take time just to think. Action is good and necessary, but it's fruitful only if

we muse, ponder, and mull.

Make time for play-the things you like to do. Whatever your age, your inner

child needs re-creation.

Watch and listen to the night sky. It speaks.

Listen to the words you speak, especially in prayer.

Learn to stand back and let others take their turn as leaders. There will always

be new opportunities for you to step out in front again.

Divide big jobs into little jobs. If God took six days to create the universe,

can you hope to do any better?

When you find yourself rushing and anxious, stop. Ask yourself " WHY? " you are

rushing and anxious. The reasons may improve your

self-understanding.

Take time to read the Bible. Thoughtful reading is enriching reading.

Direct your life with purposeful choices, not with speed and efficiency. The

best musician is one who plays with expression and meaning, not the one who

finishes first.

Take a day off alone; make a retreat. You can learn from monks and hermits

without becoming one.

Pet a furry friend. You will give and get the gift of now.

Work with your hands. It frees the mind.

Take time to wonder. Without wonder, life is merely existence.

Sit in the dark. It will teach you to see and hear, taste and smell.

Once in a while, turn down the lights, the volume, the throttle, the

invitations. Less really can be more.

Let go. Nothing is usually the hardest thing to do - but often it is the best.

Take a walk-but don't go anywhere. If you walk just to get somewhere, you

sacrifice the walking.

Count your friends. If you have one, you are lucky. If you have more, you are

blessed. Bless them in return.

Count your blessings - one at a time and slow

- author unknown

~ " We all take different paths in life, but no matter where we go, we take a

little of each other everywhere. " ~

~ " If I could reach up and hold a star for every time you've made me smile, the

entire evening sky would be in the palm of my hand. "