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Slowing Down to Feel

Ferris Bueller had it right: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

Never before in history have we had so much “coming at us” every single day – texts, calls, emails, advertisements, appointments, jobs, meetings, etc. The stresses of life can hit us pretty hard these days, and it’s so easy to get swept along into that constant stream and end up mostly reacting to life.

A large part of men’s work culture is making the time and space to slow ALL of that down, and move closer to stillness. That slowing down into stillness is crucially important for us because that tends to be what moves us out of our heads, and into our hearts and bodies.

We have to slow down so that we can feel. Heartache, grief, frustration, anger, shame, regret, along with joy, appreciation, gratitude etc. All of that lives in our bodies, not our heads. The speed of thought often traps us in relentless monkey mind, not giving us a moment to breathe and drop down into our bodies – where all feeling truly happens.

And when we feel – we often get clear. Clear about what’s working in life, and what’s not. Clear about the deeper purpose we’re longing to live, or about the relationship we know we must end (or begin!).

If we don’t find a way to slow down and feel, things can get more difficult. Emotions will build up in our bodies and become chronic health conditions, illness, depression, addiction, avoidance and so much more. If the life you’re living is out of alignment, the universe will keep smacking you with ever more intense interruptions in an attempt to force you to slow down and feel.

With COVID-19 we are experiencing a global slow down unlike any other in modern history. The world is on pause. No one is sure what’s next.

And even still, there is a strong temptation to stay consumed in the flow of information: about the virus, politics, tv shows, social media – they are all very strong mechanisms to distract us and help us avoid slowing down.

We also have a great opportunity – to use the stillness of this pause to feel into the depth’s of our heart, take stock of what’s really happening in our lives, and to get clear about who we are and where we want to go next.

What are you noticing in this pause as you slow down to feel? Is there a truth that is becoming clear?

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