By Kimine Mayuzumi
I have compiled some quotes on being lazy and slowing down; more specifically, they are somewhat related to the sub-themes of our website: Be mindful, trust the process and let go of outcomes. I have divided them into two parts: what prevents us from slowing down and what are important ingredients for slowing down. In this blog post, I share the first part followed by the latter in our near-future blog post.
I am excited to share the quotes I carefully selected because the process of compiling them was such an enjoyable and therapeutic journey. I got to read texts with more focus than when I would usually read. And I felt relaxed and inspired to grow at the same time. I hope you will find some quotes you feel connected with.
Here they are:
“That ever-elusive more–did you ever notice how more is unatttainable moment? More is a trap! “(Victoria Castle)
“Trying to do ‘one more thing,’ you do much less.” (Julia Cameron)
“When we really delve into the reasons for why we can’t let something go, there are only two: an attachment to the past or a fear for the future.” (Marie Kondo)
“Because of this inner busyness (by worrying about the future and the past), which is going on almost all the time, we are liable either to miss a lot of the texture of our life experience or to discount its value and meaning.” (Jon Kabat-Zinn)
“I do not mean that you should not have hope, but that hope is not enough. Hope can create an obstacle for you, and if you dwell in the energy of hope, you will not bring yourself back entirely into the present moment.” (Thich Nhat Hanh)
“In the ordinary state of consciousness, only the mind is predominant; it is always actively functioning – interpreting, categorizing, evaluating, criticizing, and judging .. Our exclusive identification with the mind results in preventing us from knowing a deeper reality.” (Yoshiharu Nakagawa)
“Keep your heart clear and transparent, and you will never be bound. A single disturbed thought creates ten thousand distractions.” (Ryokan)
“Speed is a way to prevent ourselves from having to deal with something we do not want to face. So we run from these symptoms and their sources that are not nice to look at. To be able to face our fears, we must remember how to perform ritual. To remember how to perform ritual, we must slow down.” (Malidoma Somé)
“Life becomes far easier once you know that things will still work out even if you are lacking something.” (Marie Kondo)
“Life becomes easier and far more fulfilling when we slow down and let things happen instead of pushing ourselves to make things happen.” (Ezzie Spencer)
“By pushing away vulnerability, we turn parenting into a competition that’s about knowing, proving, executing, and measuring rather than being.” (Brené Brown)
Are there any quotes that resonate with you? If you know any others that you like, please share with us in the comment below.
In our near-future blog post, I will share the other quotes about what are important ingredients for slowing down.
Photo credit to Peka