Tortoises are not as slow as many people think, however they do move at a steady pace and take everything in their stride. That's what we all need to do at times. The tortoise teaches us to slow down, appreciate life and reconnect with your inner self.
Go At Your Own Pace
Life can be very fast paced, but when we slow down to experience every moment, we can enjoy it more and remove the stress that comes from hurrying.
Taking time to think things through and work steadily also helps you to recognize what you can realistically achieve and so prioritize, or turn away anything that proves too much. Life is here to enjoy. It's not to be wasted on meaningless tasks that ultimately mean nothing to you.
No-one should expect you to do more than you are able to physically give, whilst taking care of your own well-being. If they do, then you should ask yourself whether you are in the right place or surrounding yourself with the right people.
Find The Positives in Life
Taking time to slow down also helps you to reflect on your life and consider what is going well, what is not going so well and what you would like to change or experience going forward. You are in charge of your own life and destiny.
Another advantage of taking life more slowly is that you get to appreciate what is happening now and what you have right now. Gratitude makes you feel good about yourself and your life. Gratitude shows you that there are lots of positives in your life, even when things are not going your way. Gratitude also promote positive mental health.
Reconnect with Yourself and Life
How can you slow down and reflect more?
- Be mindful - take time to look around, smell the roses, see the colours, feel the wind in your hair and the rain on your skin. Pay attention to what is happening around you and really appreciate life. For more information about mindfulness check out my other blog posts Be MindFul With The Owl and The Benefits of Mindfulness.
- Meditation helps you to slow down your mind and your breath, so you can learn to recognize what is happening within. You can access your inner thoughts and beliefs, reconsider and reconnect with who you are and bring your body into a state of relaxation.
What a way to Live!
Key lessons
The tortoise is a great teacher, from whom we should really take wisdom. By slowing down, really taking the time to appreciate life and shape your own experiences you will ironically create a life that you love much more quickly than you would otherwise.
Why not start building great habits for happiness in your routine now and help your family do the same. Family Habits For Happiness is a 5 day mini-course, which introduces you to different strategies to help you calm the mind and manage big emotions, including relaxation exercises, mindfulness and short, simple meditations that can be done regularly by adults and children. There are also webinars, which explain the benefits of meditation and mindfulness for children and how you can help them to learn to meditate. Get it now for just £10.00
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