Welcome back! Hope you had a wonderful summer!
Personally, it feels like a long summer and a short year. We began our summer with family visiting from Hong Kong. It’s tricky to travel domestically during the pandemic, let alone traveling overseas. Nonetheless, we had a wonderful time being in each other’s physical presence. We relaxed at the beach in Oxnard, California, visited New York City, and hiked the San Gabriel mountains. We savored every minute together and made the summer long.
Then came fall. Where has the year gone? Businesses reopened and kids went back to school. Just like that, life resumes its fast pace. I love the fact that we are returning to normal and promoting structure in our children’s lives again, but I want to remind myself to hurry slowly. Shakespeare said “Wisely and slow. They stumble that run fast.” Sounds counterintuitive but there is an art of being more productive, creative, and resilient through the simple act of slowing down.
Fall is my favorite season for many reasons – the cool and refreshing air, the colorful leaves, the smell of fresh apple cider. I intend to enjoy fall to its fullest. Smile, breathe, and go slowly.
As a pharmacist, my drug of choice for fast-acting relief of stress and anxiety is slowing down. Zero copays!
Mei
“Fast and Slow do more than just describe a rate of change.
They are shorthand for ways of being, or philosophies of life.
Fast is busy, controlling, aggressive, hurried, analytical, stressed, superficial, impatient, active, quantity-over-quality.
Slow is the opposite: calm, careful, receptive, still, intuitive, unhurried, patient, reflective, quality-over-quantity.
It is about making real and meaningful connections—with people, culture, work, food, everything.
The paradox is that Slow does not always mean slow […]
It is also possible to do things quickly while maintaining a Slow frame of mind […]”
— Carl Honoré
