The “Slow Life”

About a year ago I heard some YouTubers talking about something called the slow life. The more I got into learning about it I realized it was something I was already doing. Those other YouTubers talked about it like it was something brand new that they had invented. It’s actually a lifestyle that a lot of people are already currently living. I think what these YouTubers were discovering was something that a lot of people only figured out as they age. These YouTubers were realizing in their twenties what most people take decades to come to the same conclusion.

So…. What is the “Slow Life?” By broad definition it means a lifestyle which encourages a slower approach to aspects of everyday life. I know this way of living is not for everyone or even possible for some people but I found over the past few years that it really works for me.

It is a lifestyle choice that involves a lot more than just what you accomplish in a day. Some even say it is the opposite of Hustle Culture but I think it’s more about deciding on a pace of life that works for you and making your schedule flexible for your wants and needs. It allows you to experience life instead of just consuming it.

I think it is important that I emphasize the slow life is by no means the lazy life. You are simply living more by doing less. Doing less lets you be better at the things that you consider essential. Not having less, enjoying what you have. Not living less, creating a life that you want to live fully everyday.

For me it took the 2020 pandemic to put things into 20-20 focus. It helped me clarify between something I was passionate about and something that just interested me. In my book “The Creative Virus” I wrote, ”There is one fundamental difference between an interest and a passion. An interest will require you to be disciplined in its perfection, where a passion is its own discipline.” Those passions are the things that have the biggest returns on the investment of time and energy.

I’m not telling you how to live your life because each person’s “best life” is going to be totally different. I just encourage you to try different things. It ultimately may take you decades to figure it out or you might realize it right off the bat. So many times in life you have to first eliminate all the things you don’t want just to figure out the things you want. And to be perfectly honest neither way is the right way or the wrong way. If you find out right away that’s just as good as taking decades to figure it out. Some people never make the effort to find out what their passion is and they spend their entire existence being both disappointed and empty.

By choosing to eliminate some things I have created a life that I don’t need to take a vacation from. I’m not working all year for the weekend or a couple of weeks vacation. My life is full of things I have to do and want to do. Setting my own pace just helps me live a healthier life both physically and mentally.

There is no secret formula to figuring all of this out. Happiness is not an achievement, it is a byproduct of other things like a sense of purpose, helping others or being satisfied with what you already have. I had a life full of things I thought I wanted but I was only wanting them because I was measuring my life by what someone else told me it should look like. Just as each of us are completely different, so will a life full of things we are passionate about. I don’t care how long it takes you. I encourage you to set aside time and effort in the pursuit of the life you want. Even if you don’t want the slow life you might just like a slower life. Either way it’s your life to live so remember you only get one of them. Make sure you live your life, not somebody else’s

Thanks for reading and let me know if you would like to see these blog posts turned into a short video.

God Bless,

MJ

Michael Joseph

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