Two minute spiritual reflection to start the day - Slowing Down

Once I was in New York on holiday, sitting in a café on Wall Street watching people rush by, in the middle of their working days. “Where are they all going?” I wondered. Of course, they had all different destinations, but I realised that, in a sense, they were all rushing towards the same place: the future. They were all trying to reach the future as quick as they could, for their next appointment or meeting. When we rush, it’s difficult to be in the present. To be in the present, you have to slow down. You have to look around, taking in the reality of each moment. You have to be aware. This is the essence of mindfulness – when your mind is full of your experience in the present. It’s a shame that many of our lives are so full of activity and busyness, because in a sense, life only takes place in the present. The past and the future only really exist in our minds – the past as memory, the future as anticipation. So today, treat yourself to a few periods of slowness. Every so often, step off the train of incessant activity, to take in the reality of the landscape around you. This is a short poem of mine, called ‘Slow Down’: Slow down. Don’t be so desperate to reach the future that you push the present away. Treat each moment with respect as a friend who deserves your attention. Greet every new experience as a guest who’s welcome to be part of your life. Slow down and feel how the stress of doing turns into ease of being. Slow down and see how the future fades like a mirage and how the present arises around you as clear and fresh as dawn. Blessings.