Treat #93
: The Answer is in the Slowing Down
Often the seeming “demands” of my mind need taming. I imagine that is true for many of us. Quieting my own mind-chatter is an effective way of working and self-management before even thinking about others. I would replace the managing-by-walking-around style of leadership with the slowing-down-to-listening-and-speaking-less style.
I sometimes hear myself saying things that are not necessary to the conversation. I listen to others in meetings speaking fast and not noticing they are repeating what others have said, or, repeating themselves several times while making a point. Often we are doing things habitually and, on closer observation, we may find these things are more distracting than value-producing.
My nephew recently realized that he seemed to be texting all the time but he was never the one initiating the text. He found it hard to “not respond” to a text. He was feeling pressured into answering every text message he received. So he asked his parents to take the texting off of his phone. He immediately noticed that he felt calmer and had more time to do the things he loves to do. And, he isn’t missing anything. Sometimes I think we do things habitually without questioning how it is serving us.
As many of you know, writing is one of my creative expressions. It’s more a meditative process than writing with content. When I sit down to write, the content is not often immediately present…it shows up as I write. Sometimes it becomes a writing Question and Answer process.
This is an excerpt from a recent writing session:
“Hesitating with pen puts me into thinking vs. allowing myself to flow with the heart. Just start and the thread unravels in its own design. No imagining can create what the heart is ready to share. . .
[Q] How do I listen for the clearest direction without stopping the flow? [A] Slow down to the answer. ”
I find that slowing down to the answer to always be true. When I slow way down, I can hear the answer loud and clear. Doing (just to do) is often not the action that would most serve me.
Someone asked me recently what I think is the most important piece to completing. For me there is only one answer…slow down.
What slowing down means to me is to start listening and watching versus reacting, habitually doing and getting ahead of where things are in the moment.
We get frantic inside with how much needs to happen and what we are not doing. When we slow it down and listen for what is essential and needs to be done things start to come into balance.
I had a dream the other night in which I was asked to tell a fairy tale. In the dream, I noticed I jumped right in to tell a fairy tale without a breath or a thought, feeling pressured to do a good job. I started speaking very fast and with great enthusiasm (thinking “faster” would make it look like I know how to tell a story). I got so ahead of myself I lost the story line and had to stop and start over. I noticed the second time through that when I slowed way down the story unfolded naturally and I was given the lines. Dreams are great when they give direction like this.
What is it that makes us think that we have to move quickly, answer every text and react to everything rather than give ourselves time to listen for our response? What we are to do is not found in automatic, quick responses but in taking the time to listen, watch and respond to what is on purpose in the moment. The answer is in the slowing down.
Martha Invitations
1. Look at your life and see if there is anything you are doing as an automatic response that you can switch.
2. Choose to be in slow mo for even five minutes and see what you notice. Then increase the time to an hour. Type on the computer slower and see what happens.
3. Listen before you habitually react to something.
|
|
