Life is a Journey, not a destination.

Written by on January 6, 2009

42-16592848_24_36forest-path-postersLife is a Journey, not a destination. Do you want it to be a sprint to the finish (death) or do you want it to be a stroll, where you appreciate and take in your surroundings. Allow yourself to be absorbed into the things that distract and fascinate you? In fact, that is the key! To follow your fascination. Go with the flow.

Have I told you the stream story? I think it is coming up on a deckchair TV episode soon, so I will leave it for now.

That is my theme for 2009 and is going to reflect my thoughts on how you can make some effective Resolutions the Slow way that means, not only will you be more likely to keep them, but you will be healthier, wealthier and happier in 2009. Even with the continued socio-economic turmoil. In fact, and I have said this before, that slowing down is not only beneficial in these troubled times, but the only sane way of dealing with what is going on!

Big claims? That I will hopefully back up!

But before I go on about New Years resolutions (have you made some? Have you broken them yet?), just a bit of a catch up of a few things that I noticed over Christmas and New Year (or just Christmastide, if you follow the pre- reformation 12 day festival, that ends today, on Epiphany, the 12th day of Christmas and the 6th January)?

Firstly there were 3 news stories that caught my eye over the festive period:

1. This interesting articlve on the BBC Today Show website about Idling. It undoes a lot of the misconceptions about it and shows how it can be beneficial…

http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_7791000/7791966.stm

2. A couple if interesting Slow Health related stories here: 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/3917757/Getting-more-than-seven-hours-sleep-a-night-helps-prevent-heart-disease.html

See, lying is not being lazy, it is being healthy!

and here:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/3918685/Chocolate-wine-and-tea-can-boost-brain-power.html

Now, those are the health foods I like to eat! 

Right, don’t want  to do too much, too soon. Not even Plough Monday yet (more on that next wee). I will return tomorrow with a more detailed discussion on New Years Resolutions…

SC

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Slow Yule Part 4 – Merry Christmas/Seasons Greetings

Written by on December 22, 2008

Well, well. I didn’t really get as far into exploring the idea of Slowing Down at Christmas as I would have liked. This is due to a couple of factors; dodgy internet connection over the last few weeks (one of the very few downsides to living out in the sticks) and not having the time due to a strangely hectic diary (I have been working away for the last week)

I will return in 2009 with much more about slow down and the slow movement, including (hopefully):

  • A new shiny website (I think I have been promising this since I started this journal!), which will have a proper online shop facility
  • A range of information products – audio and ebooks to help you slow down. Including a free ebook or 2 if you are lucky…
  • More SlowCasts (if you haven’t had the chance to listen yet, go here to listen via itune - if you do this please leave groovee feedback! – or here to listen via podbean)
  • More DeckChair TV episode (keep up to date here)
  • Updated training and coaching packages.
  • Tai Chi.
  • More blogs about the current state of slow…
  • Much more (they always say that don’t they? Probably because it is true, although I am not sure what it is yet…)

The subject of my first few posts of 2009 will be how to create New Years resolutions in a Slow way and how by applying Slow principles you will actually stand a higher chance of succeeding in doing them this year! AS well as more in depth look at how to cop with the continued global socio-economic downturn and how slowing down is the only sane option…

So have a good Christmas, a good New Year and see you in 2009!

SC

 

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A Cup of Sugar?

Written by on November 13, 2008

st-mondayMorning,

Isn’t the news cheery today. BBC is reporting the highest unemployment in 11 years. The Telegraph is running with “UK in Recession for Most of Next Year”

I don’t know why I bother with the news at times. Can’t we have a nice story. Like “Hoodie Helped Old Lady Across the Road”?

Why is it so fashionable to be dour and cynical and aggressive and negative?

Something that was illustrated quite neatly on my disastrous appearance (is it really an appearance if you are on the radio?) with Stephen Nolan and Charlie Mullins (of Pimlico Plumbers, lest you forget!) on Radio Five Live (and I just noticed, with all the excitement, I totally forgot to celebrate Saint Monday. Damn!)

Because, to get through this we are going to have to work together, get a sense of community and co-operation, rather than selfishness and competition. That is the way the world used to be. Popping round the neighbours for a cup of sugar, that. Nowadays who even knows their neighbours name?

That is one of the (many?) unfortunately side effects of the age of abundance we have just been living through, because we were in a position to get what we wanted by ourselves (food from the supermarket etc), that we have become less reliant on others and therefore that sense of community that used to hold us together has diminished.

Even if it is just for support, or to have a bit of a moan about our current situation, a peer group is very important (in fact a recent study suggested that one of the keys to happiness is to have a group of 10 close friends).

So go on. Go and introduce yourself to your neighbour, take some cakes (they don’t need to be homemade…)

SC

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Necessity is the Mother of Invention

Written by on October 20, 2008

Well….

It’s fun, fun, fun in the news today isn’t it? Remember in the olden days when the news used to end on a cheery story? Like “Today a cat called Ronald, managed to do  triple summersault over a hedge and got in the Guiness book of records”?

You don’t get any of that any more.

All, recession this, and unemployed that and downturn the other.

Ever think we may talk ourselves into all this? Probably, but that is a topic for a later entry.

Today I want to return to a post I put up last week regarding how now is a perfect time to slow down.

It really is. I see this as an excellent opportunity for people. I am not just saying that to make you feel better, I really do. Necessity is the mother of invention and all that. It is incredible how creative you can become and when looking at that the right way, it becomes fun.

Remember when you were a kid and you used to make up games with nothing more than a cardboard box and tennis ball. It was great fun, in fact, often more than “proper games”.

Well, by getting that feeling about having to adjust your lifestyle, means it becomes an adventure not a stress…

So, to begin with I want you to go back and think of some of those child memories, times when you just made up your own fun. Think of as many as you can, really go back to that time in your mind, see what you saw, hear what you heard, and feel how good it felt, if you see pictures run thrm together in a montage, really make them big and clear and really concentrate on that feeling of ingenuity and fun and creativity.

When you have got that we will carry on!

See you tomorrow.

SC

PS, you may have noticed: I don’t do weekends!

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A little bit about the current economic condition

Written by on October 16, 2008

Well, hello. How are you? Stressed? Worried? Concerned about the state of the economy and how it will effect you?

Thought so. Even I am a bit worried. Although, without seeming to sound smug, I saw this coming a long time ago and did expect a crash (not that I actually prepared for it. So who is the bigger fool?). We had created a society based solely on debt. We had all been suckered into it, or had no choice (you have to live somewhere, which means you probably had to accept that huge mortgage, as it was the only way you could afford that massively overpriced house!)

But I am not here to analyse, find blame or say “I told you so” (even though I didn’t), as the rest of the media of the world seem to be doing a very good job of doing that.

What I am wondering is; is the end of the world as we know it? Only time will tell. But I guess only one thing is certain, that is everything is going to change. We cannot, as a society, continue the way we were going, which means we, as individuals are going to have to change our lifestyles, manage our expectations and “downsize”. We have got used to the abundant, the immediate and the easy. Now we are going to have to go back some steps.

Some people (maybe you) will be thinking this is going to be really hard, and you are stressed and worried about how you are going to manage.

But I actually see it as an unprecedented opportunity to start incorporating the slow philosophy into your life.

A lot of work I do is with helping people who had been forced into the situation where thy have had to suddenly slow down and don’t know how to cope. People who’s lifestyles have suddenly changed; maybe through illness, redundancy, relocation, loss of a spouse etc. And I am guessing that there is a lot more people now who are in that bracket.

(Incidentally, I also work with a lot of people who just want to slow down. They are unhappy with their frantic lives and are sure there must be another way to live. It is not all doom and gloom here at Tortoise HQ)

So, over the next few entries here at the Notes from a Deckchair, I am going to give you a framework to help you start slowing down, and reducing.

It will be hard work, but it will be interesting, life changing and most importantly, it will be fun! I promise…

SC

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