Still waters and deep wells

Over the past several years, I’ve been reflecting on the importance of experiencing life at a slower pace. I’ve also been actively practicing what slower is for me and seeking to understand the forces that work against me and the forces that aid me in my quest.

I readily admit, I am not very good at slowing down and am learning more every day.

Our world does not want leaders to slow down…only speed up. Our world and the systems that keep it intact, actively conspire against us to push us to go faster and do more, even when we desire to slow down and do less.

Many thought leaders have written widely on the importance of slowing down and its benefits to humanity. I’m sure you have read many of their works including Thomas Merton, Trisha Hershey, Richard Rohr, Teresa of Avila, Peter Wohleben, and many more.

At the very center of being a Process Consultant is the deep desire to pose questions. A Process Consultant believes that we are never (ever) done learning and when we think we know the answer to a question, we are trained to STOP, not give an answer, and humbly offer another question for consideration.

It is from this posture, that a Process Consultant is sometimes required to ask difficult questions of their Clients. These questions help leaders, like you, get towards deeper meaning, deeper understanding, and deeper purpose.

One such question drove me to write this blog. What do we have here in your quest for slowing down?

What do we have here? helped me uncover the forces working against me in slowing down and the forces that aid my quest to live life in a new and better way. Below you will find three answers that come freely to mind and describe the forces working against and for my journey in slowing down.

This (force field analysis) process can be done on any human and organizational dynamic that you are experiencing.

I’ve noticed these forces that work against me in slowing down:

1. The way in which our VUCAA (volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous, and anxious) world shows up every minute of every day and says, ‘pay attention to me’

2. The ever-present language of future value and its quest for more financial resources

3. The training I’ve received that my value as a human is in direct correlation to what I actively do and accomplish

I’ve noticed these forces that aid me in my quest for slowing down:

1. Looking others in their eyes as I listen and talk with them, helping me be curious about who they are and what is happening with them in that moment

2. Gazing at a body of water, its flowing current and its boundaries that contain it.

3. Recognizing and respecting other people as on par or ahead of myself.

In answering these questions, what surprised me most was how obvious the answers were. What’s more, these answers helped to create a path to further slow my slowing down.

Please take a moment and write down your answers to these two questions. Give yourself a present of uninterrupted time (even three minutes) to see what emerges for you as you consider these two questions.

Jot your fellow readers a note in the space below and share what emerged for you.

Mind how you go.