The Answer to Slowing Down? Gratitude

How is possible that Thanksgiving has already come and gone? If you celebrated it, I hope it was peaceful, joyful and filled with love.

It seems I’m always pondering how fast time is flying by and how I’m not able to keep up with it. Am I the only one? Do you feel this way, too?

Dahlias from My Garden and Pumpkins from My Mom's Garden Before the Frost Ended the Gardening Season

These past few weeks I’ve been so busy and my attempts at slowing time down haven’t exactly been successful. I know through the end of the year things will continue to rush past, definitely at odds with nature’s pull urging me to s - l - o - w d - o - w - n.

And I think that’s the biggest problem for me with the transition from summer into autumn and the slide into winter. My connection with the flowers blooming in my garden makes me feel the need to slow down, too. Winter is a natural period of rest, and yet our society just keeps rushing along.

Sometimes I have to paint something just to paint it and the watercolor brings me joy

So what’s the answer? Rush along with it and exhaust myself? Fight it and end up uninspired and irritable? Find some sort of middle ground?

Liv Sulerud is an empath, healer and coach. I get her newsletter and recently these words arrived in my inbox “Seasonal shifts have always affected me deeply. And one of the most challenging things for me is the way the dominant culture pushes on as if nothing is different.” Yes! I thought. Exactly! She went on to say that “Mama Earth is slowing down and so can you.” Her words brought me hope and reminded me that I am the one in charge of how I navigate my days.

And so I am committing, again, to slowing down. To settling in to the natural rhythms that I’m feeling. To taking time for myself. To nurture and nourish. To rest.

Yesterday was Thanksgiving here in the US. A day to give thanks for all of our blessings. I wish that instead of getting lost in the shuffle of commercialism and holiday sales we could linger with our gratitude.

In truth, there’s no reason that I can’t. That you can’t. That we can’t. Gratitude is the perfect way to slow our thoughts. It’s the perfect way to still the rushing and calm the overwhelm. Won’t you join me?

seasons, life, gratitude, artAnne Buteragratitude practice, gratitude, giving thanks, slowing down, being present, mindfulness practice, mindfulness, gratitude is the answer, thanksgiving, joy, seasons, changing season2 Comments