Wrapping up a week of museum outings, enjoying the burgeoning spring days, and visiting with friends, reacclimating to a schedule of deadlines has been slow going.
It is a privilege to interrupt one’s [hectic] pace to intentionally slow down. A privilege that many cannot realize for various reasons.
Even how I traveled (by train, which was more money and a longer travel time than by air) was a practice in being unhurried.
Only one activity planned for each of the seven days with lots of room to engage in what emerged fully.
Csikszentmihalyi writes that if one uses leisure to engage … flow will be present. For me, flow happened through immersion in creative spaces, concentrated time with friends, and the delight of a relatively unstructured schedule, to be.
We could say I was engaging in relatively effortless flow experiences. With the primary action of choosing to engage.
In a society where doing is prized, being leisurely can seem luxurious. Leisure time may signal that we are unproductive! Not being a contributor. Playing instead of working. A binary mindset of this or that.
“Leisure is not refreshment-for-work but something completely different that exists for its own sake,” writes Jenny Odell in Saving Time.
Although I started off talking about leisure time, the crux of this blog is how to s.l.o.w. d.o.w.n. to be in the m.o.m.e.n.t. to experience (be in) the landscape of our lives. And I don’t believe you must leave your home to do this.
Taking time for a slower, non-work pace can be difficult if we are paid to produce using our intellect. The speed at which we produce and how we are rewarded, whether title or salary, can be external signals of our worth. Our success.
What would slowing down allow you to experience when you’re not driven to produce?
This slow-flow adventure was sparked by an NPR Report on the reopening of the National Museum of Women in the Arts—with the desire to see the Sky’s the Limit exhibit.
Unfortunately, I was three days late; the exhibit had closed. Yet being in the museum’s space sufficiently quenched my disappointment.
There were multiple moments of serendipity within my seven days of adventure; visiting a bunch of museums, connecting with friends, and walking around a new city. The edges of Chronos‘ time, greatly influenced by Kairos‘ time.
On my final day at the National Museum of the American Indian on the National Mall, there was an announcement that playwright, Rhianna Yazzie, would be in the auditorium to offer a talk. With no previous knowledge of her or her work, I decided to attend.
During her talk, she dropped many gems. I was particularly struck by one of many questions she posed, which I offer to you for reflection:
How do you create a composite for yourself?
After experiencing a life tremor (a long overdue change) at the end of 2023, I deliberately paused before moving forward to the next thing. As I navigate this period of re-evaluation, I’m finding deeper purpose aligned with my values, shaping my journey ahead.
With many factors outside my control, I wanted to give space around this life shift. After managing some time-sensitive matters, I gave myself the gift of what I like to call my “slow-flow adventure”.
Despite many aspects being beyond my direct control, I still have the power to determine how I respond to life’s twists and turns.
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Here is a sampling of the books read in the past three months.
