One of my colleagues at work just got back from a week of vacation , very calm and happy. He said that the pace of life was slower and more laid back there. (in the Caribbean) This got me thinking about pace, about rhythm and speed of daily life.
Many people think that New Yorkers are crazy - that they are so hyper or driven, but it's really just a matter of pace. Things move quickly here. Somehow it's expected to get things done fast. Work is tackled with focus to get it done as soon as possible. We talk fast, we walk fast. we work fast. It's just the pace of the city. Some years ago, I was in California and it was just painful to me how slow everything was, while others saw me as rude because I moved quickly. I have never been able to just enjoy a vacation, because I always feel like I should be getting something done.
So to up my game, I'm trying out stillness. It's an attempt to break the trance of the fast paced city work pattern. Maybe just vary the pace a little. Be laid back about something. Not sure how this is going to go or where it might lead but it's worth a try.
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This reminds me of how somebody was telling me that she came to a party late and everybody was drunk already and she felt so out of sync that she didn't even want to drink because they all looked so slow motion and you couldn't have a conversation with anybody. Has this happened to you when you try stillness? Does everybody else look a little manic?
ReplyDeleteOut of sync is exactly the crux of the matter. You've nailed it! I've actually found at parties that I don't have to drink if I just match the pace of the people there. You can kind of slip into the reality of the situation that you walk into. I prefer to do this consciously, cause then you can shift out of it at will.
ReplyDeleteAs to the stillness - just stand on the street outside your office (you don't have to smoke, just stand there) and watch the passersby. If you are still, you will see a variety of pace, energy level, emotion going by. You can even notice by how people hold their bodies,if they have an ailment or stuck energy flow.