I received a great compliment recently. 

“You inspire me to slow down,” she said.  “I’ve never met anybody
who embodies slowness like you do!”

I am paraphrasing a bit here but hopefully you get the gist of what she
was saying.  She wasn’t calling me slow (at least I don’t think she was!)
but rather she was commenting on how everyone she knows and meets
is constantly rushing from one thing to the next.  She is new to our city
and was finding it hard to make connections with other people. 

Up until a year ago, I would not have taken this as a compliment.  I would
have viewed it as yet another flaw, another part of me that needed
upgrading, a part of me that wasn’t enough.  It wasn’t until I had a profound
experience in the Hong Kong airport last November that I was able to
embrace the merits of slowing down and going at my own pace (which is
quite slow compared to most people).

For as long as I can remember I have been teased, yelled at, ridiculed,
left out and left behind because I did things more slowly than everyone else
around me.  I have also spent most of my life berating myself because I was
so slow and as a result I fell into the belief that I wasn’t capable.  I believed
I was stupid and sometime way back in my younger days I gave up on myself
and figured that everyone was just better, smarter and more capable than me. 

It was my “speed lump” that changed all of this for me.  In order to
go through surgery and treatments I was forced to slow down to a pace
that was slow even by my standards.  For the first time in my life, it was
okay to be slow.  No one expects you to keep up your crazy pace when
you are dealing with cancer.  It was society sanctioned permission to slow
down.  It makes me alternately sad and angry that the only way or time a
person is allowed to slow down is if they have a disease.  If you are
fortunate to survive the disease there is an expectation that you resume
society’s pace as soon as possible. 

But I didn’t jump back into the pace that people were expecting.  I went to
Thailand!  I navigated my way across the world, through foreign airports,
through language barriers, through political unrest and technology glitches.
I did it slowly, methodically, sitting and thinking about my next steps and
being present to what was in front of me.  And I realized…I. Was. Capable.
When left to my own pace and rhythm I am extremely capable!  Now I am
embracing my “slowness” and it turns out…it’s inspiring others! 

Here is the power in slowing down.  You have the opportunity to discover
parts of yourself that have been hidden or rejected.  These hidden and
abandoned parts of yourself have value and it’s time to bring them out into
your life.  I know many of you are busy with cooking, gift buying and planning
and attending holiday celebrations at this time of year but can you slow
down – just a little bit?  I guarantee it will be the best gift you could ever
receive. 

And in the spirit of slowing down….

I am giggling with excitement these days because after a long 6 months of
very intense training I am now certified to lead ½ day retreats in The Way
of the Happy Woman!  So please watch your email for my first winter retreat
coming your way in February.  You are going to love these retreats (male
readers will love them too because happy women make for a happy life!!).
You will leave feeling peaceful, calm and deeply connected to yourself and
your rhythms.

As this year comes to a close may your days be beautiful and joy-filled
(and maybe even a little slower!).