I’m joining the Slow Down Challenge initiated by one of my favourite writers
Jeff Goins. If you want to jump in, here’s how.
It’s been more
than two months since I left my third employer. I am jobless, unemployed, and “bumming professionally,” as I’d
like to say. This is by far the longest I’ve been without a job. No rigid 8 to
5 routines and overtimes, no deadlines to beat, and no reports to finish. Life couldn’t
get any slower than this, I thought. I owned my time. I did things because
I wanted to, not because I have to.
Then I hit the
2-month mark. I became restless, uncomfortable, and paranoid when I should be
basking in this glorious, temporary freedom. I guess when you’ve been in the
rat race for so long, your brain is wired to shun the dull moments and prompt you
to get back in the game asap. If you’re the kind of person whose eye is always
on the destination and not the journey itself, this might work. But for me, who
is an avid advocate of deliberately living and not merely existing, this
perspective raises red flags. Quality trumps quantity, every time.
Anyway, back to the challenge. Here's the Slow Down Challenge for Day 1.
This was an interesting challenge. Can I slow down any further?
I decided to
explore the little nooks in the house and started with the dirty kitchen.
Nothing, except for 3 frogs lumped together in one corner. I stood in the empty
garage, closed my eyes, and used my ears to catch unusual sounds. Except for
the television sounds coming from the neighbour’s house, nothing. I checked out
the trees, the plants, and everything green. Nothing. Damn.
Abandoning the
idea entirely, I decided to take out my camera for a little practice shooting
instead. I was about to take a shot of a small flower when I saw it. Itsy bitsy spider dancing around its web.
I zoomed in on the little creature, hoping to capture a macro shot but it won’t
stay still. Then I realized it was building its web. I have never seen a spider
build its web before. I watched it with awe as it tirelessly spun a geometric
fortress made of silk. How did it even know where to go or what to do to
unleash that flimsy silk from its arms? I held my breath, almost too afraid one
huff of air might blow the web away. A mysteriously beautiful creation was
unfolding right before my eyes. I took a few snapshots, hoping my amateur
photography skills could give justice to such splendour.
Thank You, for all
things beautiful and breathtaking.
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